You don't say
by DeRae9
Summary: It's Hermione's fifth year at school. And what a year she's going to have! Unbenknownst to her, her life will be changed. A change that is in the form of Fred Weasley. Infamous prankster, annoyingly witty and irritatingly loving. Please R&R!
1. Prolouge

Prologue

Fred Weasley? No way… Oh no.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. That's J.K Rowling's pride and joy…

Hermione leaned on her bedroom window; a solemn look upon her face reads that she is in deep thought. Looking aimlessly at the cloudy blue sky of her London home she can't help but think how her world will evidently change. In fact, it was already changing, bit by bit, and she knew it.

Last year was her 4th year at Hogwarts' school of witchcraft and wizardry. The beginning of the year filled her with new hopes and a chance to make new friends from the timeless tournament of The Triwizard Cup which was held for the purpose of international wizard co-operation. And not for the brutal torment, life threatening yet exhilarating challenges and the glory each champion will be put through. Though she will admit, despite herself, she thought the challenges were rather exciting. But what started out as a friendly competition between students and their schools, it had ended with a tragedy.

Cedric Diggory had died. A loyal, handsome and a friend to all were killed by non other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The sight of Harry clutching on to Cedric's lifeless body was a sight she can never forget. The thought of Harry battling Voldermot, in the flesh, surrounded by his death eaters chilled Hermione to the bone. The thought that it could've been Harry, whose body was being blocked from view away from shocked and horrified students, was terrifying. It was at that moment that she knew her life will start to change, more than ever. More than her adventures with Ron and Harry, more than her school marks will get her. Yet despite the happenings, her school life and her marks was something she vowed not to let go. Apart from her best friends and her family, her school work kept her mind alert and determined.

There was a significant change within her that she had noticed over the years. A change that was fuelled even more by Cedric's death. As clichéd as it may sound, she wanted love. Not friend and family love, she had those. But a love for one person and for one person only. A love that she can give to that person and for that person to return equally. Of course, she knew that kind of love doesn't happen quickly. It was a love that develops until it reaches its desired peak to be expressed. A love that was true. The tragedy of Cedric's death made her want to feel love before it was too late.

_Hmm... If only..._ she mused to herself. _Besides... It won't be appropriate this year... _But despite her yearning for love she couldn't bring herself to see that she could fall in love. Nor was it appropriate this year. Her friends needed her. Her magical world required her to stay focused and in line from now on (not that she was out of line – ever) and at least until Voldermot was gone. And love can be a distraction.

Even though it has only been two weeks since she has been home, she was ready to leave again. Her trunk was packed with all her school materials; robes, quills, books. Along with a quantity of muggle clothing which was more than she would usually carry. But she wasn't going to Hogwarts, not yet anyway. She was asked by Dumbledore to stay the remaining month and half of the holidays at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Dumbledore to fight of You-know-who the last time he was in power. The invitation to stay was quite literal. Dumbledore had knocked on Hermione's parents' home and had asked her parents for their permission for her to stay at the headquarters. As charming and wise as Dumbledore was. Her parents said yes. It was hard _**not **_to trust her headmaster, with his knowing eyes and his trustful demeanour. And so, here she was leaning on her window, waiting for her "guards" as Dumbledore called them, to take her to the headquarters.

"Hermione, the Weasely's are here." Shouted her mother form the living room.

"Coming mum!" she cried back.

_The Weasley's… Thank God._ She thought as relief flowed through her. She was afraid Dumbledore was going to send strangers to take her to headquarters. And so, she lifted her trunk up off the bed and proceeded to walk out of her room. Once she was almost out the door she looked back at her room, emotions from old memories filled her. Along with new determination.

She smiled and turned to keep walking. _And so a new year begins. And new adventures no doubt._ She thought, smiling to herself. Being Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's best friend had guaranteed that her life will never be boring. Her thoughts full of assumptions of change and courage in heart and by now disregarding the thoughts of love out of her mind, she stepped out of her bedroom with Crookshanks in tow and her trunk in her right hand, she descended down the stairs toward the living room below.

A/N: Hi! Please review! It's my first fanfic and I would really like to know what you thought. I don't mind constructive criticism. So please… knock yourselves out!


	2. Goodbyes

**A/N:** Hello! Thank you so much to **erisedvision139**,**LemoN-X-DroP,clarity-unknown** and **LittleRedOne**. I've received my first ever reviews from you and I just want to say thank you for taking the time to review! I know it may be going a bit slow but I just want to establish Hermione's character even more and for people to understand her emotions. Don't worry I'll be updating soon and the good stuff will be rolling in! I hope you like this chapter and please R&R. I would like to keep reading what you think! Thank you!

Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Don't own nadda!

"Hermione!" a chorus of male voices greeted her, all of them with blazing red hair and supporting the famous Weasley grin.

They were all standing just in front of the fireplace where she assumed that they have just come out of. The farthest to the left stood Mr. Weasley, a tall and balding man with a kind face. He was wearing his best attempt of a muggle outfit. It consisted of brown and blue checked trousers, a purple pinstriped long sleeve shirt and an odd looking brown vest with a fur collar and oversized pockets. Hermione had to try her best not to slip in a laugh as she greeted them.

"Hi" she said with a smile.

At his right side is her best friend Ron wearing a better ensemble than his father, a blue t-shirt and faded jeans. He was the youngest out of all the Weasley boys and was taller than his father with the same flaming red hair and stature. She noticed that he was taller than the last time she saw him and this astonished her. _Could it be possible to grow an inch over two weeks? _She thought to herself.

Next to Ron were the twins George and Fred respectively. They were taller than Ron, for now. And was built like their brother Charlie. Slightly stocky but lean and with good musculature, particulary a strong chest. Both of them were wearing faded jeans like Ron but had long sleeved shirts. Green on George and Dark blue on Fred. To people who do not know the twins they would say that they were identical to the last freckle. But being around the twins for the past 4 years, she had noticed subtle differences between them. Both in their physical appearance and their personality. For example, George is the less wicked of the two and is an inch taller than Fred. Whilst Fred is considerably more mischievous of the two and has a birth mark in a distinct shape of an eagle just in front of his left shoulder blade near his collar bone. She knew this because she had spotted it on Fred when he had gotten a little tipsy at a celebration party for Harry after the first task. He had taken his shirt off while he stripping _**for**_ the 6th year girls.

"Pleasant trip?" she asked smiling at them.

"Very, it was quite exhilarating. And the feeling of wanting to puke when you land is quite pleasurable." Fred enthusiastically described without a hint of sarcasm.

This made her laugh "I bet." She said. She didn't know what it was, but there was something different about Fred. She gave this a thought for a second but shrugged it off to put down her trunk and say her goodbyes to her mum and dad.

The look on her parents' faces will be etched on her mind until the next time she sees them. And no doubt it will be the cause of the frequent homesickness she will be having during the nights without Harry and Ron to occupy her. Her mum was smiling but she knew it took all her strength to do so. Her dad's eyes had tears forming within them ready to spill. She had never really told Harry or Ron about her homesickness. She really didn't want to burden them for there was always something more important than her night time nostalgia.

She collected all the strength she could muster and gave them her most believable smile. "It's only 10 months." She half joked.

With this her dad's tears spilled and her mum rushed to hug her. Her mum had always been the stronger of her parents. She had inherited that from her. "You take good care of yourself." Her mum told her meaningfully.

She further smiled and replied, "You know I will."

Her dad suddenly came to hug them both. And for a few seconds she was lost in her parents' embrace. Until her dad pulled away and took her by the hand and said, "If you have time, come and visit us on one of your holidays."

"I will" she replied. Though her mum was the strongest between her parents, her dad was no sook either. He just expresses his feelings more readily than her mum.

"We want you to know," her dad continued, "that we are so proud of you. And we want you to do what you think is for the best."

With tears forming in her eyes she hugged both of them one last time and said with a smile, "I love both of you!" She knew her parents understood what she needed to do, and where she needed to be. And that is with Harry and Ron in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

She let go of her parents and turned around to pick her trunk back up and started walking over to the where the Weasley's were in front of her fire place. Still feeling waves of emotion wash through her, a sudden hand on her shoulder shocked her. Surprised to see Fred smiling kindly down at her, she smiled back as he took her trunk out of her hand.

"I'll be your trunk's designated guard for today." he said smiling.

Laughing, she nodded and let him take it. Mr. Weasley came up to her and handed her a piece of parchment. Wondering what could possibly be written on it she opened it and it read; The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve Grimmauld Place, London. With logical answers flowing through her mind she looked up to see Mr Weasley smiling at her. And just said, "Dumbledore's secret keeper."

"Naturally" she replied. Of course the headquarters had to be hidden. And only those whom the secret keeper directly tells or writes the exact location of the place are the only ones who are able to see it.

"Molly and Ginny will be waiting for you on the other side. So don't be afraid." Mr Weasley assured her.

She merely nodded with a smile and stepped inside her fireplace and turned to Ron who handed her a sack of what she knew was floo powder and said to him, "See you there Ronald." He chuckled in return.

She then turned to the twins who were standing together a metre away from the fireplace and said to Fred in her most stern voice, "Fred, I hold you personally accountable for anything and everything that happens to my trunk."

With a mischievous smile upon his face, Fred replied "Oh don't worry Granger, I'll take good care of it." As he caressed the side of the trunk.

Laughing, she straitened herself and then smiled fleetingly at her parents and shouted, "Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix!"

Her body was whirled 10 times before she even left the ground and before she was engulfed in emerald green flames she saw Fred's caressing hands turn in and was scratching her trunk with his nails as he winked at her.


	3. Greetings

Chapter 2

Greetings

**Disclaimer:** My sources tell me that J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter and not me… Damn…

"Fred!" Hermione screamed as she stopped spinning and felt the hard earth under her feet.

"No. Ginny." A voice that she knew very well replied.

Hermione looked up half-embarrassed to see her good friend and Ron's youngest and only sister, Ginny. She stood a metre in front of the fire place with laughter imprinted upon her face. One look at Ginny's face Hermione burst out laughing.

"Hermione get out quick! The boys will be coming through!" Hermione looked up and saw Mrs.Weasley running in across the long narrow room.

Without a second thought she stepped hurriedly out of the fireplace and ran to Ginny whose her arms were open for a hug.

"It's so good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny and Hermione's friendship had grown over the years and she had loved Ginny like she was her own sister. It wasn't easy being the only girl in your group of friends, and Ginny had made that a whole lot easier. Both girls were there for each other. It wasn't often that Hermione needed female companionship; Harry and Ron were often enough. But there are times when she really needed a girl to talk to, and Ginny greatfully filled that role.

"You too!" she replied expressing what could only be honest joy.

Ron materialised inside the fireplace amongst emerald green flames and was standing at the same place she was 3 seconds ago.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted with a grin on his face as he rushed to hug his best friend.

"Clam down Ronald it's only been two weeks since I've seen you." She said jokingly. But all the same she hugged him back and felt a surge of brotherly love towards him.She loved Ron. As much as she loved Harry, she didn't think that words can ever describe how lucky and privileged she felt being their best friend. But there are times; she will definitely admit, that she can kill them both. But at this moment amongst what had happened she was extremely happy to be there with him.

Just as they broke apart George appeared in the fireplace with a grin on his face and stepped out, "Hello all! Missed me?"

"Of course we did! All 15 minutes of it!?" Ginny exclaimed.

But before George could retort back an answer to Ginny, Mr. Weasley appeared right behind him and pushed George to stepped out.

"Where's Fred?" Mrs. Weasley asked, now standing next to Ginny.

"Contemplating certain death." George replied without hesitation. He turned to Hermione. And she felt a smirk creep upon her face.

"He'll be here in a minute Molly, don't worry." Mr. Weasley assured her.

Ginny saw the exchange between George and Hermione and asked, "What's going on?" Hermione turned to Ginny and smiled.

But before she could answer Fred appeared in swirling green flames at the fireplace. He stood there, leaning on an upturned trunk. And said, "Trunk Service." With an innocent smile.

Hermione was about to playfully launch into Fred about the safety of her trunk but before she could even say a word the wind was knocked out of her by a bear hug that could have only come from Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh! Hermione dear, how are you? You look tired." Mrs. Weasley noticed as she released Hermione and looked at her intently.

Hermione smiled warmly and replied, "Just a little bit. Otherwise I'm perfectly all right." Mrs.Wealey's motherly concern touched her, like it always did. Mrs. Weasley had always treated Harry and herself like her own children and in turn Hermione saw her as a second mother.

"Well, just in case you should take a little nap before lunch. Because trust me, you are going to need it." She warned her. Mrs Weasley released Hermione and turned, suddenly she said "Oh, Dumbledore will be talking to the lot of you at dinner tonight." At this she looked at all the teenagers.

"What for?" Hermione asked.

"Probably the same thing he told us when we first came here." Ron answered.

"Well let's not worry about that know just go upstairs and get settled. You'll be bunking with Ginny." At this Hermione turned to Ginny and both girls grinned

"Go ahead." Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione turned to where Fred was standing and walked up to him. With a non-cholant look upon her face she grabbed her trunk which turned into a yank form his hands and said, "Thank you."

His smiled his mischievous smile and replied, "Your welcome."

Hermione smirked back and headed out towards the door with Mrs.Weasley in front and Ginny and Ron at the back. It was only then when she was slowly walking out of the room did she suddenly realise she did not know where on earth she was. She looked around the room that she was walking out of and noticed that it was rather long and narrow. The table in the middle of the room almost filled the entire room. Cabinets where lined on either side of the walls and cutlery can bee seen within those which had glass doors. She looked up and saw pans and pots hanging from what looked like hooks suspended in mid air and fleetingly before she exited through the door she looked back and saw that the fireplace was quite large and shaped like a giant oven. The whole room was illuminated buy sunlight coming from the windows which gave it a warm and comforting aura.

"Oh! And that's two sickles for carriage and handling!" Fred shouted.

Hermione shot Fred a furtive glare and walked out. As she stepped out of the kitchen she was met by a dark narrow hallway with a narrow staircase that took up almost the entire hall. An involuntary shudder ran through her. It was cold and the only light coming through was the light form the kitchen. It was almost eerie. If it couldn't become any more eerie, Hermione noticed that at the end of the right side of the hall was a door which she presumed was the front door. Beside it was a bin that looked like an umbrella with a troll's leg as a handle. She looked at it, aghast.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"My house." Said a voice form the top of the stairs.

Hermione looked up and saw that the house did not just have one landing but had 3 or four. Along its narrow landings snaked the stairs. She looked back down and rested her eyes on the shadow of the first flight of stairs where the voice came form.

From the shadows came a figure. It was a man, with long dark hair, a beard that suggested he hasn't shaved for days and was dressed in clothes that looked like he was from a rich noble family, despite the darkness and the faded colours of the clothes. To anyone who doesn't know who he was, they would have been frightened by his appearance. But to Hermione she knew that though that man can be impulsive, he was a man who thrived on friendship and family. And was entirely good. Well, he was good towards people who he knows is good.

"Sirius." Hermione beamed. It was good to see Sirius again. The last time she had seen him he was riding into the night on the back of a hippogriff named Buckbeak.

"Hermione." He said with a smile while coming down the stairs. He reached the bottom of the stairs and gave Hermione a hug. "How have you been?"

"I'm all right." She replied. "It's good to finally see you."

"You as well." He said warmly. Hermione liked Sirius. She sees him as an extended uncle who likes to take her side, well sometimes. But she knew that the most important reason why she liked Sirius was because he makes Harry happy. Even if Harry didn't see him as often as he wanted to, a constant contact with Sirius through mail was enough to bring a little light in his heart.

"Well, you better go up and rest. You're going to need it." He said.

"Yes, I've been told." She smiled at Mrs. Weasley.

"Come on Hermione. One flight of stairs and to your right is our room." Ginny urged.

"See you later Sirius." She said.

Hermione was pushed up the stairs by Ginny with Ron trailing behind. She noticed a number of disturbing ornaments hanging against the wall on plaques. Which she was convinced that were heads of real house-elves.

"That's barbaric!" she cried, aghast. She was about to open her mouth to keep talking but Ginny continued to push her so fast up the stairs that she had to concentrate not to fall head first. Finally they reached the landing.

"Here's our room! Go on! Go inside." Ginny urged.

Hermione walked over to the door and noticed the handle was formed like a serpent. It was silver and had emerald green eyes. She had a fleeting thought about the Slytherin symbol. She tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. She turned to Ginny confused.

"Woops, I forgot." Ginny hurried to the door and took hold of the door knob and lifted it up; with the door knob still up she knocked two times and turned the handle to the left. She heard a click and the door opened. Hermione looked at Ron who was standing next to her.

"Don't ask me how she figured out the combination of that door. All I know is that that room belonged to Sirius' younger brother. Apparently he liked locks and riddles." Ron replied to her look.

Hermione tuned back to look at Ginny smiling.

"Don't worry; any intellectual person can remember the combination." Ginny said.

"I can't remember it!" Ron protested.

"Like I said, any _intellectual_ person can." Ginny mocked her brother.

"Funny." Ron said sarcastically.

"Ok you two break it up, my trunk is killing me." Hermione protested. She knew that their bickering can last a long while if she let them.

She entered the room and looked around. The room was small, and like the hall way it was dark and cold. A small line of sunlight came from the slit in the curtains covering the windows. There were two single beds on the middle of the room which took up almost all of the space. She also noticed that there was a cabinet at the middle of the foot of both beds with ancient symbols etched all over it, almost like a design. She didn't know what it meant, but certainly she knew that the symbols were not of good magic. She walked up to the bed nearest to the window that was made, knowing full well that the unkempt bed nearest to the door belonged to Ginny. She dropped her trunk at the side of her bed and sat down.

Realisation hit her when she started adding up all the mysterious ornaments that the house contained. The umbrella with the handle that looked like a troll's leg, the barbaric display of the heads of house elves on plaques along the wall of the stairs and the cabinet with dark symbols. This house was no ordinary house. It was a house riddled with displays of dark magic. And this made her even colder.

Hermione looked at both Ginny and Ron and asked, "This house isn't a normal is it?"

"Nope." They said in unison.

"It's Sirius's parents' house. Apparently they have had this house for centuries. And they weren't exactly good witches and wizards. Sirius said they agreed with what You-Know-Who was about back in his old days. Eradicating muggle-borns and keeping families pure." Ron explained.

"No-one has lived her for years. Well, except for Kreacher their house elf. But as you can probably guess, he hasn't done much cleaning." Ginny said.

"Yea." Ron continued. "He's been cooped up in her for a decade and his only got portraits to talk to. It made him go insane. He mutters to himself all the time. And thinks we can't hear him. The insults he comes up with. He's a nutter that one."

Hermione felt sympathy for Kreacher. She firmly believed that no creature should be treated like slaves and used. "He's not a nutter Ron." She protested.

"Oh c'mon Hermione. Don't start whit the whole spew thing again." He said.

Hermione was taken aback. "It's not Spew Ronald! It's the Socie-"

_**POP**_.

She was cut off by a sudden loud pop next to and on top of her. Followed by a loud shriek that she noticed came out of her own mouth, "Ahh!!" She had only felt the bed sink for a nanosecond when a body fell on top of her (this happened all within a second) which caused her to flip backwards, with the body holding her tightly, off the bed and onto the floor on the other side. She expected to feel a fast and painful contact between the floor and her back but it never came. Instead she felt a slow and soft contact with what seems to be the body. She noticed that the slow contact was caused by strong and soft hands holding her waist. For a split second she did not want to move as the heat radiating from the body was so warm and she didn't want to feel the cold caused by the room.

"Hermione!" she heard Ron exclaim.

Snapping back to her logic that this isn't right Hermione inclined her head up. _Im'gonna kill whoever did th-_ her thoughts stopped in their tracks when she saw what part of the body she was lying on. It was a bare chest. And clearly it was chiselled and lean. For a few seconds Hermione couldn't take her eyes of it. In the corner of her right eye she saw a birth mark in a distinct shape of an eagle. _Oh no.._ she thought, breaking herself out of her trance.

"Comfortable?" the body spoke. She already knew who it was.

Hermione looked up to meet Fred's amused eyes. "You can keep looking. I don't mind" he said with a smile.

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and rapidly tried to stand herself up only to fall back down from the knot that their legs made. As a result she fell back down but was saved yet again by his quick hands and had caught her around her waist to prevent her from falling to quickly. This time she met his eyes. Hermione knew what type of colour Fred Weasley's eyes turn to, depending on his mood. She knew this because she's been under every single one of them ever since she met them. It was hazel when he's feeling particularly normal. Electric earth green when he feels mischievous and a blazing earthy orange-red when he's really angry. His green and orange red glares were what she was used to. She knew them all. Or so she thought. Looking down at his eyes at that moment it was neither of the ones she was so used to. His eyes had turned mellow amber brown and it made him look, well, cute. She smiled mentally,_ His eyes... they look so warm._

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

This broke her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw Mrs. Weasley standing over them, hands on her hips and a glare of anger in her eyes.

A/N: Hope you like this one!! Thank you every one who has reviewed my story. I really do appreciate your comments. And thank you for your feedback. I do take in what you say and keep them in mind when I write and it helps. Please R&R!

**LittleRedOne**: Yes, I wanted to really establish her emotions and her parents is a great means to do that. The trunk scenario was really funny in my head. I'm glad you thought that too!

**breeza13**: Wow. Thank you for your confidence. I will do my best to achieve that. I'm very happy you liked the trunk thing!

**Jade Wildcat**: Thank you. I will!


	4. Explanations

Chapter 3

Explanations, monsters and secret passages

Disclaimer: No... Harry Potter still belongs to J.K Rowling..

"FRED! GET OFF HERMIONE!" Bellowed Mrs. Weasley.

With her head bowed Hermione hastened to pull herself up, this time she was successful.

"What?! She was on top of me!" Fred shouted back.

"And you were probably the one who put her there in the first place!" Said Mrs. Weasley.

Fred's reply came in his Mother-I-Can't-Believe-You facial expression. This made his face look like an angry goldfish. His expression consisted of a distorted frown which produced a mono brow and his mouth was stretched to its fullest constraints and still managed to retain the impeccable 'O' shape coupled with his hand that gestured "unbelievable." Hermione fought back a laugh as she looked at him.

"Hermione are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere dear?" Mrs. Weasley's voice reverted back to its motherly tone as she looked at Hermione with concern.

Hermione looked at Mrs. Weasley for a second before she answered, half forgetting how to answer. "Yes. It's ok Mrs. Weasley I'm fine."

Just as Mrs. Weasley started to open her mouth to shout, no doubt at Fred, Hermione cut in to spare him blown eardrums. "Mrs. Weasley, don't worry. The whole accident didn't pose any injuries to anyone. It's not Fred's fault his aim was a little short of the way, he just needs more practice apparating that's all." Mrs. Weasley's face softened as she said, "You're right."

Though as she turned to look at both Fred and George her face turned deadly serious, "Being of age and being able to do magic outside of school is a privilege. Don't abuse it. And certainly do not practise it when people are around. If someone gets hurt_**both**_ of you will answer to me and you father. Do not make me say this again. Do you understand?" Mrs. Weasley's warning bordered a threat. Hermione was scared, if it was her under Mrs. Weasley's stare, she would have repented already.

Even with a look of utmost anger in Mrs. Weasley's eyes both Fred and George did not seem to be affected at all, which is apparent in their reply. Both of their heads were down with a look of innocent guilt upon their faces as they nodded at their mother. It was so innocent that it was almost a mock. Hermione didn't know if Mrs. Weasley knew this, but if she did, she didn't say it nor look it.

"All right, out of the room the lot of you and give Hermione a rest." Mrs Weasley ordered.

"No! Mrs. Weasley it's all right. They don't have to go." Hermione said, a slight plead in her voice. She did not want to be alone in this room. Without her friends to fill the coldness, she will surely feel it again.

"You need you rest dear. One of them will wake you up when dinner's ready." Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Mum's right Hermione. Just sleep for a while. Don't worry; you won't miss out on much." Ron assured her.

"I'll come and wake you up when dinner's ready. Ok?" Ginny asked.

"Ok." she replied weakly.

Hermione gave them a small smile. _Thanks Ron. But that's not what I need re-assuring of_. She thought to herself. With a look of dread she watched her friends and Mrs. Weasley walk out of the room, well, all except for one. Hermione was still looking at their retreating backs when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Don't be scared Granger, there's nothing in this house that can hurt you. Not even my poor aim at apparating." Hermione looked up at Fred; his eyes were back to a colour she recognized. Green. "But lock the door. Kreacher likes to randomly enter people's room while they're sleeping. He's not particularly dangerous, but he can give you a hell of a fright."

Hermione looked at him disbelievingly. "Should I even believe you?"

He grinned at her and replied, "Course you should. Ron woke up everything in this house the first night we stayed here. And I mean every single thing. Bot living and non-living. C'mon, would this face lie to you?" Forming his lips into a small smile of sweetness, Fred fluttered his eyes and he tilted his head to the side. A picture of innocence. She looked at him, her expression reading; Are-You-Kidding-Me.

Reading her expression he mockingly replied," Ouch. That hurt." and headed out of the room.

Hermione turned towards her bed. Contemplating whether or not she should even get in, she doubted she would get any sleep as she still felt cold and anxious.

"It's a lot warmer inside the blankets." Fred's voice came just in front of the door.

Hermione turned to face him, shocked that he was still in the room.

"You'll be under two layers of blankets. You won't even feel the cold. And soon you'll forget about it." He looked around the room as he continued, "This is the coldest room in the entire house. Par the attic, though that's Buckbeak's pen so it doesn't count."

Hermione chuckled.

"Sleep Granger, you _will_ need it." With a fleeting smile Fred turned and left the room.

Without a second thought Hermione turned and climbed inside her blankets. She expected it to feel cold because no-one has been under it to warm it up. But as she settled herself inside them she began to feel the comfortable warmness that usually occurred after someone's been sleeping under it all night. She could feel her body thaw out and in no time at all she was completely warm and comfortable. _Mrs. Weasley must have charmed the blankets to radiate heat_…_this is advanced magic.. go Mrs. Weasley_… she thought_. _Clearly, the warmth was affecting her.Hermione turned her face in to bury it on her pillow._ Hm... The pillow too... no wonder my face hasn't turned into an ice block. _

With her whole body warm and as she felt comfortable within her bed her thoughts suddenly shifted towards her parents. It's only been half an hour and she already missed them. She felt the familiar emotion of home sickness as she thought about her parents._ No… Not yet. It hasn't even been an hour!_ With this thought she pulled the blankets over her head wanting to submerge her home sickness back into herself like the way she's physically submerging herself completely inside the blanket.

Surprisingly, it worked. It was even warmer completely under the blankets. All thought started to flitter away and she found herself become even sleepier. _Fred was right_... she thought. _You do forget the cold_. And with that thought, she fell asleep.

Hermione began to stir awake as she felt hands shaking her. Still half-asleep she turned her body away from the source of the disturbance.

"Wake up. Wake up." A faint voice had said. Hermione moaned, signalling for them to leave her be. "No. we need your help down in the kitchen." Hermione ignored the voice.

"Hermione! WAKE UP!" whoever that voice belonged to suddenly sat on top of her and proceeded to jump while they sat. Finally giving in, more from pain rather than from sleepiness, she was wide awake by now; she intentionally sat up quickly so that the body was flung off the bed.

Thinking it was Ginny she shouted, "Ginny?!" already feeling guilty and concerned for what she's done to her friend

"No. Fred."

"Fred?!" Hermione shouted as she realised it was him jumping on top of her. "You do know that there are more conventional ways of waking people up!"

"Well I did try shaking you! But you wouldn't wake up so I proceeded to use my own methods!" he shouted back. "Besides, it worked didn't it?" Even though her vision was hindered by the dark Hermione knew he was half-laughing. "Come on. The meeting's running late so we need your help to prepare for dinner."

Reluctantly, Hermione got off the bed and proceeded to make her way towards a large rectangular outline she assumed was the doorway out of the room. "It's so dark. I can hardly see anything." She said to the dark. Hoping that Fred was going to reply. She waited a few seconds and no reply came. "Fred?" she asked the dark again, this time with a slight fear in her voice.

"Relax your trousers I'm here." Came a voice behind her. "Here, put this on. It's Ginny's. It's gonna be cold till you get to the kitchen and even then it's still a bit nippy."

She reached out to where the voice came from and took the jacket.

"Come on. Follow me." Came Fred's voice again. She followed him out of the room as she put the jacket on. Out on the landing everything was in the dark. She literally couldn't see anything in front, to the side or behind her. Away from her enchanted blankets she felt the cold sink in and fear run through her. She normally doesn't get frightened easily, but somehow this house chilled her to the bones. "It's so dark." She commented.

"Yea, you need to close all the doors for the heat to stay in one room. Don't worry it's only one flight of stairs." Said Fred from somewhere in front of her. "Here, take may hand and I'll lead you down the stairs."

"No thank you.' Hermione said indignantly. "I can do it." Slowly, she proceeded towards where she heard Fred's voice and came in contact with the stair's railing. She heard a faint howling noise form somewhere inside the house and suddenly she didn't feel so brave. "Fred. Did you hear that?"

"No." Came his voice beside her. "Don't worry Granger, it's nothing. But if it does turn out to be something I'll protect you. Though if it wants you and not me. And offers me a Firebolt as an exchange for you. I can't promise you that I'll say no."

"That's not funny!" She half squeaked. She took three slow steps down the stairs when she heard it again. It sounded as if it was coming form the one of the landings above her. "You must've heard it that time."

"Again. No. keep going." He ushered.

Hermione kept stepping down until she reached half way down the stairs. That was when she heard again. This time, it came form the first floor landing. Her heart stopped. She heard Fred gulp as he said faintly, "I heard it." They turned towards the landing. There, on the landing was an outline of something tall and still. Hermione's eyes bulged. She reached out for Fred's hand, she didn't have to reach far as she felt his hand reach for hers and held it tightly. Both Fred and herself slowly stepped back down a stair. Her eyes never leaving the dark outlined figure. Another faint howl came form the figure, but this time it sounded more of a swish. With only waves of fear running through her they continued to slowly descend the stairs as the dark figure followed hovering, not stepping, but hovering like a ghost. Their speed quickened at each step they took. And with each step they took they came closer and closer to each other.

They finally reached even ground, but by then they were frozen with fear. Rooted to the ground and now in a tight embrace they were hanging on each other for dear life. The kitchen door opened and a warm orange glow shone on Hermione and Fred. But neither of them moved. The dark figure, in the shadow half way up the stairs hovered down towards them, only the swish from the figure can be heard. Both Hermione and Fred clutched each other more tightly as the figure came in to view.

"AHH!!" Hermione and Fred screamed at the top of their lungs as they saw Snape's face descending towards them.

Still screaming, they looked towards each other, their faces centimetres apart.

"AHH!!" They screamed even louder and quickly threw each other away and looked at Snape.

"Professor." Hermione said breathlessly as she regained her composure. Her heart still beating rapidly. "We thought... umm… you were...um..." Hermione stuttered. She didn't know how to explain why Fred and herself screamed.

"We heard a howl. And when we saw you-" Fred began to explain. Hermione noticed that Fred's demeanour had changed and was looking at Snape seriously. But Snape cut him off.

"You thought I was a scary monster who wanted to eat you alive." Said Snape in his usual low, drawling voice.

"Not that you look like a monster Professor." Hermione pipped in, not wanting the potions master to assume that they thought that about him. Hermione may be tough when it comes to her friends, but teachers are her weakness.

"Miss. Granger, I know perfectly well that I don't _**look**_ like the _**baddy**_ in children's story books." He chided drawlingly at Hermione.

Hermione merely nodded at her potion's professor's comment. She was used to his chiding comments. She doesn't let it get to her as much as it used to, thanks to Harry and Ron's pep talks. Snape moved swiftly from the foot of the stairs across the hall and without a second glance back he opened the door and took off into the night.

"Git." Said Fred with venom in his voice. Hermione was a bout to tell him off but was cut off by laughter coming form the door of the kitchen. Hermione looked towards the kitchen and saw non-other than her headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Looking highly amused.

"Well, Severus has always had that effect on people." Dumbledore chuckled.

Hermione moved towards her headmaster, feeling entirely glad to see him, "Dumbledore." She stopped short in her tracks as she realised she openly said his last name without acknowledgement on his school position. Dumbledore had noticed and just smiled. "It's all right. You can call me Dumbly if you like. It's about time I got a nick name."

Hermione laughed and proceeded to walk towards him. "How are you?" she asked. Dumbledore lead her into the kitchen as he answered.

"I'm quite all right." Dumbledore replied. "And yourself?" Hermione looked at the narrow kitchen. The long table supported a large cauldron of what she assumed was soup. Sirius, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, George and Ron were all busy either talking, eating or in Ron's case; both. Suddenly, she was starving. Dumbledore saw Hermione eyeing the food. "We've prepared and started dinner. I hope you and Mr. Weasley don't mind both of you took so long to get down."

Hermione laughed. "It's fine. Oh, and I'm great. I've had a very comfortably warm nap."

Dumbledore gave Hermione a knowing look and said, "Oh. Yes. The Aestus charm. Aestus means heat in Latin. It's lucky that Mr. Weasley knew that charm. Or else sleeping would have turned into a struggle for survival." Hermione looked as Dumbledore turned his head to wink at Fred. _Fred? _She thought. _Impressive._

When everyone had finished eating Dumbledore announced that he wanted to talk to everyone. "Well, this is directed more at you Miss. Granger. As everyone else will know most of it." Hermione nodded as Dumbledore launched into a three hour talk about the history of the Black House, the purpose of the Order of the Phoenix (without the juicy details from the meetings) and how Harry cannot know about anything. Not the house and not the order and what they are doing. Hermione listened intently at every word he said. But it took all her strength not to say quite a few things about the last topic.

When Dumbledore had finished Hermione took a moment to form the words carefully about what she wanted to say. "Professor. I know that this is towards Harry's best intentions, but Harry is impulsive. If he is kept in the dark with no-one, not even proper answers to settle his thoughts then he may do something drastic."

Dumbledore looked at Hermione seriously. "Miss. Granger. I know that. He took after his godfather's impulsiveness. But we cannot let him know anything until the time is right."

Hermione wasn't convinced. "When will that be? What if by that time he's fed up with all our evasiveness. He'll feel alone not knowing. And with us not being there with him."

"Hermione's right. Dumbledore, sir, he should be here with us. With everything that he's been through, he needs his friends and people who will take care of him with him." Ron expressed. Hermione looked at him and smiled. Harry was their best friend, and they knew him like a book. This secrecy was going to make him feel alone.

Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Sirius looked hopefully at Dumbledore, they too agreed with both Hermione and Ron. While Mr. Weasley looked concerned, so did Fred and George, looking apprehensively at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked around the room. His face looked apologetic. "I'm sorry; it's not time for Harry to know yet. Nor is it safe for him to travel. I'm truly sorry. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Sirius. You all have to swear to me that you won't tell him anything. "

Hermione looked at her headmaster for a while. She trusted him, but she knew Harry. She looked over at Ron. They were thinking the same thing. Reluctantly they said, "We swear." What else could they say? She heard Fred, George and Ginny say the same thing. With faint "yea" from Sirius.

Dumbledore smiled kindly at them." You have to trust me. I won't let anything happen to him." With that, he stood up and stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "Hogwarts!" within a rapid swirl of green flames, Dumbledore disappeared.

"Harry will be all right. Don't any of you worry. We all know Dumbledore will not let anything happen to him." Mr. Weasley re-assured the group. But that didn't help Hermione and Ron as they looked unconvinced.

"All right, all of you, back up to bed. You will need a good rest. You all will be cleaning the house tomorrow." Said Mrs. Weasley as she assured them up the table. All of the teenagers groaned while Sirius laughed. Hermione didn't know what was so bad with a little house cleaning. Without a second thought she followed Ginny up the stairs to their bedroom. Thank goodness the light form the kitchen illuminated all the way up to the first floor. But not the remaining floors above it. Being the last ones to climb the stairs she heard Ron's shuffling feet from the upper landings. Both Hermione and Ginny were about to enter their room when an ear splitting scream broke through the house coming from Ron's bedroom. Fearful that some body was being attacked Hermione ran to the next step of stairs but stopped herself when she heard fits of laughter that matched the ear-splitting scream. No doubt Fred and George had sacred Ron. Not even a second later a third voice, louder than all the rest bellowed through the house.

"FRED! GEORGE! GET TO BED OR I WILL PUT YOU THERE MYSELF!" Mrs. Weasley threatened the twins. Hermione was sure her level of hearing went down after this event.

--

_What's wrong with a little cleaning? A little cleaning?! What was I thinking!_ Hermione chided herself as she cleaned a set of drawers, on the fourth day of her stay, in a bed room on the fourth floor of the house. It was the same level as Fred and George's room. For _**three whole**_ days everyone, well, all the teenagers and Mrs. Weasley had been cleaning the house non-stop. Hermione was amazed and horrified by how dirty the house had been. At first she thought it was kind of fun, cleaning. But by the third day, she despised it. Though she wouldn't show any sign of her contempt for cleaning the house. She didn't think it would take so long to clean a single house. But as she found out, magical houses were not like ordinary houses. There were lots of secret passage ways and enlarged rooms, all of which are dirty, very dirty. She had one passage way that was full of cobwebs and with spiders, bigger than the average, nesting on them. Ron was with her at the time and one look at one spider, he was gone before she could even say, "Ronald!"

She had just finished cleaning the drawers when a loud _**pop**_ startled her.

"Hermione, lunch is ready." She turned around and saw George grinning at her. She can never get used to the twins apparating all over the house. _It only takes a few seconds longer to walk!_ She thought irritatingly as she remembered on her second day in the house. She was drinking a glass of water down in the kitchen when the twins apparated beside her and caused the water she was drinking to spill all over herself from shock. The water inside her mouth, sprayed all over the place.

"What? Why are you grinning?" she asked.

"You better clean up before you go down to lunch. You've got dust and dirt all over your face." He replied with a small laugh.

Hermione smiled, "You know you're a lot less mischievous than Fred. Dare I say you're the kinder half. No doubt Fred would have told me I looked perfectly clean."

George laughed. " I've been told and yes you can. And you're right, he would have."

Hermione stood up. "I'll take your advice and get cleaned up. Please tell Mrs. Weasley I'll be down soon."

George nodded with a salute as apparated out of the room. Hermione went to her room to get cleaned up. An en-suite was attached to hers and Ginny's room. No doubt by magic, like their actual room. There was no adjoining room to the right of the stairs unless they had asked their neighbour to sell them a piece of their home. A fact Hermione only realised the day after she arrived.

In the bathroom she cleaned her self up. She washed her face which was utterly black, covered in dust and dirt. There was no point changing her clothes, she had to go back to cleaning straight after lunch. She headed out the bathroom door which was located on the wall next to the cabinet. Together with the cabinet, the bathroom and bedroom door, there was no space left on the wall. As Hermione closed the bathroom door she noticed that the silver serpent door handle had one emerald green eye and one sapphire blue eye. She found this very peculiar as all the serpent door handles in the house, which is every door handle, all had emerald green eyes. With curiosity taking over, she felt the sapphire eye with her thumb. Her moist hand slipped and slightly turned the handle to the right without even a sound. She felt the door move back. Shocked, Hermione pushed the door with a finger. Without the creak that the door normally made, it opened.

The door opened onto a wooden spiral passage of steps leading upwards. But unlike the passage she had discovered the other day. It was not dirty nor was there cobwebs with spiders and it was not dark or eerie. But was clean and lit with old English lanterns with alternating green and blue flames on both wooden walls. It was inviting. She identified the flames as everlasting fire. _That's extremely rare, _she thought. All ideas of danger came instantly into her mind. But the overpowering need to know where this passage leads to overtook her sense of danger. Hermione stepped through the door and into the first step of the passage. She turned to close the door but it was already shut._ I didn't even hear it._ she thought. But even then her mind didn't allow her to feel fear. Somehow, she felt that the passage was safe and comforting. She slowly climbed the steps, looking at the walls as she did so. The walls were of rich mahogany wood that was expertly finished. But what surprised her was that the walls were blank. No marks, no scratches. It was taken care of very well. She wondered if Kreacher knew of this passage.

Hermione didn't have to climb too far before a door met her, with the same sliver serpent handle with emerald and sapphire eyes. She opened the door in the same way as she opened her door. But it wouldn't open. Before she allowed herself to panic, she covered the emerald eye instead of the sapphire eye and ever so slightly, turned the handle to the left. Like her door, this door opened noiselessly and effortlessly with only her finger to push it open. She was met by a room slightly bigger than hers with coloured wall paper of blue and silver which she recognized as Fred and George's room.

"What in Merlin's beard?" she asked herself aloud. Confused as to why a passage connected her room to the twin's room she stepped out into the room and turned towards the beds. It was at that moment that her heart stopped beating, and her mind froze and every thought stopped. All except for one; Fred was sprawled on the bed, thick red blood covering his face, neck and clothes. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

There was only one word she faintly uttered, "No.."

A/N: There you are! Hope you liked it! Thank you again for everyone who has reviewed and thank you for everyone who has read it! I'll be saying thank you a lot so bear with me! I'll update again as soon as I can! Thanks again and please R&R!

**LittleRedOne**: They didn't explain elaborately about their position but Fred was really sweet afterwards and Hermione stuck up for him. I hope u still liked it!

**breeza13**: Hehehe... she's lying on top of him! :D

**Clandestinefacade**: yes.. I do like chiselled men… lol.. why thank you! So glad you had faith in me all along!.. lol jks! I know you did!! I'm so happy you liked it!.. wait, scratch that! I'm Overjoyed!

**wasu:** Wow. Thank you. Hope you liked this chapter!

**LemoN-X-DroP**: I kinda un-intentionally took your advice LOL :D Yes, I too love reviews and thank you for the advice :D hmm… is it called Conversations?… I shall read it and if you like we can talk bout it?...

**MelpomeneChanting:** WOHOO!! Thanks Nae!! :D Yes.. a fish can write! :D Did you like this chapter?

**remuslives:** Thank you for your review! Yes, Fred is very landable :D

**rif-raf08**: Thank you so much Raf!! I really hope you like this one!!


	5. Tight embraces

**Disclaimer:** No-one in their right minds would really believe I owned Harry Potter! Thus! Harry Potter ain't mine…

**A/N:** Hi everyone! Thank you so much for everyone who has read my story! I'm flabbergasted (lol) that so many people have read it. And a very special thank you for everyone who has taken the time to review. I'm very sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've been drowning with school work for the past two weeks. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Tight embraces and flushed cheeks

Hermione rushed towards Fred, her heart now beating too fast and her head swimming with frantic thoughts as to what she should now do. Scream or Cry. She reached him within seconds and noticed that he's face was drained of colour and his lips were blue. Cry. She didn't touch him as she was afraid that his face and lips will feel dead cold. "Fred… No…" A sudden burst of pain coming straight from the depths of her being engulfed her at the sight of his lifeless body as heavy and silent tears fell down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe. With her heart in daggers she mustered as much self-control as she could and let out the loudest cry of help she could muster, "George!" her cries were becoming louder as waves of pain coursed through her. "Mrs. Weasley! GEROGE-"

With a sudden **POP** George appeared beside her. She looked up at him as he turned his head towards Fred and turned again to look at Hermione. He looked like he was about to burst out laughing until he caught sigh of Hermione's face, puffy eyed, red and with tears still cascading silently down her face. His face fell. Before he could say a word a hand grabbed Hermione's left wrist. Startled and shocked she looked down at Fred. Something swelled at the pit of her stomach. His lips were still blue but the colour of his cheeks had become red, his eyes were open and were amber brown and were looking concernedly at Hermione, yet there was something else in his eyes at that moment. But she couldn't think what it was. And he was very much alive. Without thinking she lunged at Fred and hugged him at a tight embrace, not wanting to let him go.

Hermione didn't want to let go. She felt Fred wrap his arms around her and lifted both of them as he sat up while still hugging him. An unexplainable amount of relief and happiness coursed through her as she started to breathe again. She stayed there feeling waves of joy flow through her with his arms tightly around her just as she was with him. He was alive. "Hermione." Came George's voice.

Only then did she realise that she had been hugging Fred for a few minutes as her legs started to feel strained. Embarrassed, she let go of Fred immediately and lunged off the bed to stand next to George. She felt a surge of blood rush to her cheeks and looked down; "um…" her head was swimming with embarrassment and happiness. Fred was ok. Then why was her heart still beating so fast?

"Are you ok?" Gorge asked.

Hermione looked at Fred, he was looking at her. Though he looked like he was in some kind of trance. She looked up at George. "We are so sorry." He suddenly said.

"Sorry?" she asked, confused. "I should be sorry! I froze! I didn't even know what to d-" She began.

"No. Hermione. Fred is fine. He was always going to be just fine. He was in no danger at all."

Hermione wasn't listening. She looked at Fred again and he was still in a trance. "George you better get Mrs. Weasley, he looks positively ill!"

"No. You've just caught him at a bad time." Said George looking slightly uncomfortable.

Confused, she asked "What do you mean?"

"He was the tester today." Hermione looked at him. Even more confused. Cautiously, George kept going, "You see, we've been inventing these sweets. Positively harmless-_**ish**_. They do all sorts of stuff and each day one of us becomes a tester. Fred was the tester today and… he just came off one of the sweets that we haven't perfected yet when you - found - him." George ended the last few words slowly as he saw Hermione's face become deadly furious.

Hermione knew what these harmless-ish sweets were. And she herself had tried to stop the twins inventing them. But clearly it hasn't worked. She looked at George, her fury rising at having been fooled and embarrassed. Scared out of her wits but it was all a joke. "WEASLEY'S WIZARD WHEEZES!" She bellowed.

"Hermione please shh..." Fred pleaded; the volume of Hermione's voice finally broke him out of his trance. "Mum'll here you-"

'I DON'T CARE! Do you know how scared I was that something terrible did happen to Fred! And that you were dead!" She vented as she looed back and forth to each twin. She forced herself to calm down and continued in a forced quietness to George, "What particular sweet did _**that**_" she turned her head sharply and pointed at Fred with venom. "Was testing?"

George looked scared, which was a rarity since he is a Weasley twin. "Nosebleed Nougat. And as you can see, we haven't perfected it yet. You bleed too much to take the next lolly to stop your nose from bleeding."

Hermione was livid. She was embarrassed and most of all she was hurt. Livid that this was some kind of joke, embarrassed that she had fallen for it and hurt that she was put through it. She was petrified and honestly in pain that she thought Fred had been seriously hurt. This, this was one of their lowest pranks yet. She looked at Fred who was looking guilty and something else that Hermione couldn't put her finger on. _As so he should_. She thought. Then she looked at George, the same guilty expression was on his face. She looked back at Fred. And without a shout, not even a word, she left their room and walked briskly to her room. Feeling utterly horrible, she washed her tear stained face in the bathroom to hide the evidence that she had been crying and went down to the kitchen for lunch.

* * *

For the next week and a half Hermione avoided Fred. She was still holding a grudge against him from the Nose Bleed Nougat incident which she felt victimized from. But she had not told Mrs. Weasely about the twins' continued attempts at their joke shop, she knew that even as revenge that would have gone too far. Yet it was only Fred that experienced her wrath for she had already forgiven George. She had herself thinking that this was all Fred's fault as he was the one she thought that had almost died. She had tried to convince herself, Ginny and Ron (she had told everything to Ginny & Ron that very night exactly what happened, but skipped the part involving the secret passage) that the reason she was cut up about it was because he used her as a joke. Ron was convinced and it had taken both Hermione's and Ginny's strength to hold him back from cursing Fred ("No let me at -im! I'm gonna kill him!"), though they both knew Fred would have hexed him first even if he tried. Ginny in the other hand read between the lines and interrogated Hermione even further. After the interrogation Ginny looked at Hermione in a very peculiar way but would not say what she thought.

Fred had attempted several times to win Hermione's forgiveness. But all of them failed in vain. There were many attempts to apparate her all over the house so she did not have to walk, she didn't like the feeling of apparating. So when he insisted that he apparate her to the bathroom after expressing that she needed to use the toilet, she ran from the bedroom on the second floor that they were cleaning and slammed her bathroom door shut as soon as she was inside which Fred conviniently enough, apparated infront of as she slammed it, smashing his nose against the door which resulted in a real nose-bleed. That ended that tactic. Another attempt was when she expressed that she had been having a hard time falling asleep and Fred had heard. He took it in himself to see that she did get a good night sleep by slipping a sleeping drought on her soup at dinner. Which turned out to be an Instant Knock Out Potion (Knock your enemies out in 3 seconds flat and give them a bruised eye without even laying a hand on them!) Not only did Hermione fall face down on her bowl of soup infront of everybody at dinner, she had also found herself sporting a big, black and purple bruise around her left eye. Which didn't go away for three days. After a week's worth of failed attempts resulting in more fury and injuries from both parties, Fred stopped and became uncharacteristically quiet. Hermione had noticed this and immediately thought she had severly wounded his pride. However, she re-thought the situation and concluded that it probably had something to do with the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and nothing to do with her.

Yet in the back of her mind something was unsettling her since the incident with the Nosebleed Nougat. One was the feeling of utmost pain and terror that she has never felt before while she thought Fred had been hurt. This she brushed off as a normal feeling when someone sees one of their friends close to death. The second was the hug; only after she played and replayed the incident several times over did she realize that Fred was holding on to her as tightly as she was to him. Again, she brushed it off as a reflex reaction of a friend trying to comfort another. And the third, the most unexplainable was the look that Fred had given her when he saw her crying coupled with the feeling that suddenly swelled inside her stomach. She noticed that his eyes had once again turned to a warm amber brown with a hint of something she couldn't put her finger on. This one, she couldn't shake. So naturally she ignored it, and told herself that it was nothing. Some people would call this denial.

It's been over two weeks since she had arrived at Grimmauld place, and each day she would get up with the Weasley family plus Sirius to clean the house. Even after two weeks' worth of hard work, which George had put, as slave labour, the house was barely half-way clean. There was still the drawing room plus a dozen other rooms to be cleaned. It was very hard work for everyone, but at the end of each day no-one complained for Order meetings took place in the house almost every night. And on each of those nights Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George and Fred would take out the twins' extendable ears (a flesh coloured string that can be used as "extendable ears") to listen in on the meetings. Hermione did not trust them at first, but after a couple of uses she was crouched on the first floor landing almost every night along with everyone listening in on the meeting down in the room below.

"Shove Ron I can't hear a thing!" George scowled.

"No Ron don't lean in. Your nose will poke me in the eye!" Fred said.

"Be quiet!" Hissed Ginny. "They'll hear us!"

"Listen, "said Hermione suddenly. "They're saying something about guarding again!" For the past times they have been listening in on the meetings the same topics rose. Guarding something was one that was always mentioned but they could never catch what they were guarding. Another topic was the recruiting of wizards in the order and the spies for the Order. But they never got the details. At least they got the general idea.

"We need more wizards abroad." Said a voice. "Arthur, last I heard your third eldest son was working for the International Magical Co-Operation in the Ministry. He can help can't he? What was his name? Ah. Yes. Percy wasn't it?"

"Oh. No." Fred moaned. Suddenly, they a heard a loud shriek followed by stifled sobs. "There goes mum." Fred said. "Any moment now-" he was cut off by the distinct breaking of glass. "There goes dad." Hermione shifted uncomfortably in the landing as she looked at Ginny, Ron, Fred and George in front of her with their heads bowed. Ron, Fred and George all looked morose while looking angry and Ginny screwed up her face forcing the tear threatening to fall from her eye to stay there. As she looked at them, she felt awful. Looking at Fred in particular she couldn't keep being cross with him. Percy was the third eldest child along the Weasley children. Proud and success ridden Percy was the brother that Hermione most had in common with when it comes to rules. Refusing to join the Order and believing everything the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, told him about the "lie" that Voldermot had come back, he disowned his family. In consequence, every time Percy's name was mentioned Mrs. Weasley started crying and Mr. Weasley broke whatever he was holding. Hermione felt badly for the Weasleys, she had always seen them as an extended family. Knowing and seeing that they were miserable caused her the same distress. Wanting to distract them form their thoughts Hermione listened intently on the extendable ears hoping for something good to hear. At that moment she caught wind of progress and guarding. Even though guarding wasn't new news, at least it was something.

"Listen." Hermione egged the others. "They're talking about progress with the guarding." All five heads inclined nearer to the flesh coloured string.

"Ompff! Gorge move your head I can't hear anything." Said Ron irritated.

"Be quiet!" Ginny said again. But Ron now aggravated that George didn't move an inch dug his elbow in George's ribs which made George howl rather loudly. "You two be quite!" Now Ginny had shouted losing her temper. Seeing a solution to the problem Hermione stood up and leaned on the railing of the landing. This then gave Ron room to shuffle and in turn hear better. But Ron's shuffling had cost him to press up against the railing leaving no room for Hermione's feet.

Not wanting to move too far away from the group and into the dark she lifted herself up on top of the railing and placed her feet to rest on Ron's crouching back. Hermione sat on top of the railing feeling particularly safe so long as she doesn't lean backwards. Just as she thought this, simultaneously, Ginny gave a loud gasp and Ron sat up so suddenly he knocked Hermione's feet of his back and she fell backwards off the railing and down to the floor below. Hermione shrieked, _not again._ She thought as she fell, bracing herself for extreme pain. She waited there was a loud THUD. But nothing, no throbbing headache not broken bones and no pain. _What?_ But before she could think properly, strong harms lifted her up off her feet and a voice that was unmistakably Fred's said in a hurried whisper, "Hold on." Instinctively, Hermione clamped her arms around Fred's waist and in no time at all she felt her body move in such a way that it felt like she was being sucked through a tight tube. It was uncomfortable to say the least. But the feeling only lasted for not even a second as she landed on top of the landing that she had just fallen from with a PoP.

As soon as she landed she heard a door burst open from the meeting room below and worried voices asking what had happened. The loudest was Mrs. Weasley.

"Hello mum! Oh! And the whole order too! How have you all been? Finished already?" said George traipsing down the steps and greeting them as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"What happened? I heard screaming and a loud thud!" said Mrs. Weasley, alarmed. Hermione could only hear voices as she was afraid to look down the railing.

"Nothing." She heard George reply innocently.

There were a few seconds of silence and murmur of voices. She heard a door close and without warning Mrs. Weasley's voice echoed in the hall. "Give that thing to me! If I ever catch you or Fred using this again I will throw it and its existing brothers and sisters in the rubbish!" within seconds another loud bang made by the slamming of a door echoed up through the landing. George came up the stairs, " She took the extendable ears, she saw it in my pocket. Oh well, there's plenty where that came from! Why does she always think that it's just you and me?" he had reached the landing and looked at Fred. He suddenly broke out in a wide, teasing-smirking grin. "Well, you two look comfortable."

With horror Hermione realized that she was still holding Fred around the waist and snapped her head to face him. If there was any light on the landing her face would have looked like a beetroot as she looked at Fred, un-able to speak form embarrassment. She looked wildly around at Ginny who had a curious look on her face and to Ron who looked like he was squinting "I can't see anything. What happened? Who's comfortable?". Fred was looking at her, a small smile on his face as he kindly released Hermione and she followed suit.

"Um." Hermione began. "I'm going to go get ready for dinner." She gave them all a small nod and grabbed Ginny powerfully by the wrist and pulled her inside their room. Her heart was beating fast again. She looked back at the boys and saw that Fred was still smiling, even in the dark, should she dare think it? He's eyes were twinkling.

A/N: What did you think? Pleas R&R! Thank you for reading! :D

**ObsessedwithPotter: **Thank you so much! Your review made me smile from ear to ear non-stop for at least an hour! And I agree, you don't get enough of this coupling and the couple is brilliant to write about! Thank you again for your review and I hope you liked this chapter. :D

**KatieCupcake:** No it wasn't a Boggart. I hope you weren't disappointed.

**LittleRedOne:** avoids rock being thrown I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Glad you liked the last chapter! Thank you so much for your support! :D

**FieryDragon164:** I hope you liked this chapter!

**christy86:** Thanks! :D

**Clandestinefacade:** Well… you know that's how good make out sessions start… But not yet :D

**wasu:** Wow thanks!!

**breeza13:** My head likes to create amusing scenes… I'm glad it sounds funny on writing! Thank you for you support! D

**FredWeasleyLover1126:** No… he' not dead :D I would never kill him off! Apart form obvious reasons he's too loveable to kill off! :D

**Evenstar606:** The screaming scene was screaming at me to write! I'm glad you thought it was cute too! :D

**littlemissmichelle:** Hope you liked this chapter! :D

**rif-raf08:** I would never kill him off you know that!! Glad you liked it. Thanks :D

**RubeusHagrid34:** Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter!


	6. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that remotely comes close to Harry Potter… **

**A/N:** Hi everyone! Thank you for everyone who's reading my story and again special thanks to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Revelations

That night dinner was quite eventful. To everyone's amusement and secret pleasure, the klutz in Hermione had come out. Finally. No one thought to consider as to why she had been a klutz. They simply put it as Hermione's wheel of perfect-ness had turned upside down. But this assumption did not pass Hermione's nagging mind. She was perfectly aware as to why she had been such a klutz. This was of course because of her little accident up at the landing on the first floor which lead to a heroic rescue by Fred. Not to mention what really turned her stomach upside down was the twinkle in Fred's eye as she parted hurriedly to her room with Ginny in tow.

"Not a word." Was all Hermione had to say for Ginny to zip her mouth close. So after this little incident, Hermione couldn't stop thinking about Fred and his twinkling eyes. So focused on this thought that she had forgotten where her mouth was and she conveniently fed her nose with roast and gravy. So out of focus was she that she didn't even realise that Ron was speaking to her from across the table until he shouted, "You failed Arithmacy!" As a result Hermione threw the cake she was feeding her ear at Ron. This in her surprise was a bullseye. She regretted it afterwards as she started a massive food fight which earned her a disapproving look from Mrs. Weasley. Where no-one and nothing escaped the wrath of the food.

After coming out of the shower, dressed in her light pink pyjama pants and matching singlet with a towel in hand drying her hair, Ginny asked her, "So, what's been on your mind?"

Hermione looked at her, "What do you mean?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing at all." She replied, reading her expression.

"All right, but when you do resolve whatever you're thinking about. Make sure you come to me first so I can say "I told you so"." Ginny said.

Hermione looked at her friend with a quizzical look." "That didn't even make sense. What have you told me?"

"Apparently I'm not allowed to say a _word._" Ginny mused.

Hermione didn't want to even think about what Ginny was trying to say as she had her own thoughts to solve. While in the shower she concluded that she was going to talk to Fred to thank him for saving her. What she really was hoping for was to settle her thoughts once and for all. To prove to herself that the twinkle in his eyes didn't mean anything and the rapid beating of her heart every time she came in close contact with him (which was more often than not in a hefty situation) was a figment of her imagination.

So with a goodnight to Ginny (and a wide grin as a reply) she walked briskly in the dark stairway and landings towards Fred and George's room on the fourth floor. She thought about using the passage to avoid the darkness but she didn't want to let Ginny know about it. She doesn't know why, but she felt possessive about it and would not tell anyone. Reaching their closed door on the left she knocked. George opened the door and grinned. "Hello. What do we owe for such a wonderful visit?"

Hermione shook her head in amusement, "Oh, nothing. Just for saving my life."

"Ah. Yes, the other half of me. Come in." Hermione settled herself on Fred's bed. "He'll be out in a minute. He's in the shower. The cake you threw at his head is determined to stay in his hair." With that, George walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

All the lights in the room were out; the only source of light came form the crack underneath the door of the bathroom which was muffled with steam. But she didn't have to wait long as not even a minute later the shower stopped and the door of the bathroom opened. Hermione's jaw dropped.

With the bathroom light and steam illuminating his naked body Fred stepped out with a white towel in his hand drying his hair. She had seen it all. His damp body was flushed red from the warm shower. Years of quidditch had definitely paid off as he was muscular and perfectly toned. His chiselled chest stood out as it was slightly damper than the rest of his body. And his- _Oh My. _It was only after Fred had screamed that Hermione rapidly spun around and put both her hands over her eyes. Her stomach suddenly homed a bubbly flock of butterflies as she doubled over in a fit of giggles that didn't seem to want to stop. With her eyes still shielded she walked over to the door which she miraculously found and stepped out of the room. A minute later a hand grabbed her shoulder firmly and spun her around. She instantly stopped giggling as she saw Fred. His face determined to show no expression.

"You wanted to see me." He said.

Hermione stared at him, his hand was still on her bare shoulder and she couldn't help but notice how warm his hands were. "Yes." She finally said.

"You're freezing, come inside." Hermione stepped inside the now lit room and again settled herself in his bed. "What can I do you for me lady?" Fred asked, returning to his usual tone, determined to forget about what happened a minute ago and sat across from her.

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life. I'm eternally grateful." She said sincerely but still flushed from all the giggling. She looked at him; he was now dressed in black pyjama bottoms. She couldn't help but run her eyes through his bare chest, her stomach swelled, settling on his eagle shaped birth mark.

Fred smiled, "No problem." Grinning, he added "I just couldn't resist you lying on top of me again."

Hermione stood and was about to leave before Fred caught her arm, "Granger, I was kidding." He said apologetically, but still had a tease in his voice. She couldn't help but notice that he called her Granger. _It was Hermione the other day._ She settled herself back in his bed again and said, "Well, it's not as if you didn't have a motive. You owed me. Yes! You did." She said indignantly as his face queried her. "That awful prank you pulled on me. Don't think I've forgotten" Fred's face fell as she reminded him of the Nosebleed Nougat incident.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. It wasn't on purpose. I would never do that to anyone. Especially you- err… I- I – it's- Ron said you've been uneasy since Cedric had died." Said Fred, his eyes on the floor.

Her heart swelled and un-swelled as he spoke. Looking at his downcast eyes she replied, "It's all right. I overreacted."

He looked up, "Peace?"

She smiled, "Peace."

They sat there, smiling, eyes on each other. Hermione's stomach swelled, the butterflies fluttering yet again as she continued looking in his eyes. They were becoming caramel yellow. _Yellow? _She thought. _Since when did he have yellow eyes? Who cares?_ Said a distant voice in her head. _They're beautiful_.

"How did you manage to break my fall?" she asked amusedly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Fred replied, winking. Hermione frowned and Fred laughed, she couldn't help noticing how his face lights up when he laughs. _Damn those butterflies._ "Just as you fell I apparated to where I hoped you would fall. But I fell a little short and apparated half a metre above the floor." Hermione's eyes widened. "But I got you in the end!" Fred hastily added. Hermione looked in his bright caramel yellow eyes and laughed.

Hermione didn't know how long she and Fred talked. What she did know was that they talked about a lot. Nothing too personal but just general and mundane topics. Such as Harry, school and the twins' attempt at their joke shop. Surprisingly, she found that he was actually very smart, she was impressed. The types of sweets and joke items that the twins were trying to produce were advanced magic. She felt guilty about chastising them about their grades behind their backs, but now she knew that they were quite intelligent. They just refuse to use it for school work. Hermione never knew that Fred was such a good person to talk to. Apart from her immediate friends she never knew anyone who she could talk to so easily. She wondered why she never found it out before, but then concluded that she was too displeased of their rule-breaking to even approach them for a descent conversation. Mainly Fred who was after all the more mischievous out of the two.

A sudden knock on the door broke through their laughter (Fred had just told her the time he and George had tried to send a lavatory seat to Harry while he was in the hospital wing). Hermione was slightly shocked to see that both she and Fred were closer together than they had been when she came in. Dazed, Hermione looked towards the door as Fred opened it.

"Have you seen Kreacher?" Sirius asked.

"Huh?" replied Fred.

"Kreacher, have you seen hi-" Sirius stopped as he saw Hermione. With a knowing look in his eyes and a smirk creeping upon his unshaven face he said, "Hello Hermione. Never mind. Carry on." With a fleeting grin he took off up the stairs.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Fred replied, but she wasn't convinced. The way he had said it seemed that it _was_ something.

"I better go. It's been a long a day, it's best to be off to bed." She announced.

"All right. Well then Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. No. I meant it, don't let them bite." Fred warned.

Hermione shook her head and headed out the door. Just as she was out, Fred called her and threw her an oversized green Weasley jumper. Well, oversized for her. "You'll freeze to death before you even reach your room." She smiled in thanks and turned only to suddenly say, "I'm sorry… About my entry." Cautiously she continued, "I didn't know that you - um - wer - ahh... was-"

"Naked?" his face in a devilish grin.

"Yes." she could feel the blood rush to her face.

"It's all right. It was my fault. I assumed no-one was in the room."

Hermione tilted her head to the side, "But you knew George was in here?"

"No I didn't. We might be twins but we stopped being naked in front of each other since we were eleven. Upon entering Hogwarts we thought it was un-manly to see each other naked." He finished with a small laugh.

Hermione smiled as she nodded. Fred continued, "You're actually the first person to see me bare it all in 6 years." Hermione smiled as she saw him go red in the face. This was odd. Fred never blushed.

"Well," she replied, "You have nothing to be ashamed of." Before she allowed herself to fully comprehend what she said, Hermione walked out of his room while putting the jumper over her and quickly walked down the stairs to her room.

What she didn't see was Fred's surprised face at her compliment. He looked down at his body and smiled, his face flushed even more trying to beat the red of his hair.

* * *

For the next couple of nights Hermione routinely found herself at Fred's room. Talking and laughing about anything. Their conversations were always long and full of laughter. Hermione found herself relaxing in Grimmauld place and felt herself happier than she had in weeks. The only thing that pulled at her mind now was Harry. There have been many remarks on both Harry and Dumbledore's accounts of the return of You-Know-Who in the Daily Prophet which angered her. Naturally she talked with Ron over it. But they both knew no-matter what they thought or said Harry wasn't going to join them anytime soon. But she was wrong. On a bright sunny morning a few days after the landing incident, Hermione had accidentally slept in to be woken up by Ginny's teasing grin.

"Wake up sleepy head." Shaking Hermione awake.

"Wake up or I'll get Fred to wake you." That did it, Hermione suddenly sat up.

"No! He'll sit on me!" She half yawned half shouted.

"Well, if you haven't been sleeping so late at night after a hard day's work you would be completely awake. And there would have been no need for me to threaten you."

Hermione yawned in response.

"I guess the threat wouldn't have worked anyway, he's still out cold." Ginny suddenly sat next to Hermione and gave her a questioning look. "What have you two been talking about or_ doing_?"

Hermione looked a Ginny for a moment before answering, "Things."

"Things?" Ginny asked disbelievingly. "Both of you are up at 3 in the morning discussing, _things_? George had to drink a sleeping drought potion just so he can sleep through your noisy banters!"

Hermione laughed, "Honestly, we just talk. What else would we talk about besides things? And what do you mean _doing_?! Ginny! Honestly!" said Hermione indignantly, catching on fully at what Ginny asked.

Ginny just looked at Hermione like she was searching for something. "Hmm. Hermione, for the smartest witch in our school, you're pretty oblivious."

Hermione looked at her quizzically. But before she could ask what she was being oblivious about Ron bounded into their room and announced that lunch was ready. At this, Hermione rapidly cleaned herself and put on her clothes, readying herself to plead for forgiveness to Mrs. Weasley.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Weasley was not angry at her. But she did give both Fred and herself double the amount of cleaning they had to do.

"No wonder she wasn't angry. She knew she could teach us both a better lesson by doubling our cleaning." Hermione commented as she and Fred scrubbed the floors of a small room on the fifth floor.

"I agree. But I did wish she had shouted though. It would have been the best candidate to try the V.E's on (voice enchanter; change your voice into anyone's. Just nip the person while they're talking and hold it while you speak.)"

Hermione just shook her head and smiled. It was dark outside the window which told her it was well into the night. They had been cleaning for hours. Mrs. Weasley was one tough witch. Hermione stopped scrubbing and continued to look outside the window. The stars were beautiful. She remembered when she was younger, before her years at Hogwarts. Her whole family would sit outside at a clear night such as this, and look at the stars. Just look at them and marvel at their existence. Her mum used to always say, "Whenever you feel lonely, just look up at the stars and know that we're looking at them too thinking about you. You will never be alone." She missed times like those where she could just snuggle up between her parents and feel safe. Most of all, she missed her parents. _I love you._ She thought out into the night sky. Sensing that Fred was looking at her, she turned to face him their faces inches away form each other.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked softly.

Hermione smiled and looked back up at the stars.

Fred spoke,"You know, if you ever feel that you're alone. Just look up at the stars and know that someone is thinking of you."

Hermione looked at him. Did he just read her mind? She smiled at him, "That's exactly what my parents say to me."

He smiled back, "That's what my parents use to tell us all the time. Great minds do think alike."

They both turned back up at the star strewn sky. "See. I'm just as smart as you. Perhaps even smarter. So smart that you haven't even realised that I've been holding your hand for the past five minutes."

Hermione jerked both her hands up to her sides, only then realising that Fred tricked her.

Fred laughed as he saw her reaction, "Would it be so bad that I did hold your hand?"

"No." said Hermione. "It's more why you have been holding my hand."

Fred smiled mischievously at her but did not answer. Hermione continued to look at him for a few more seconds and then turned back to the window. Her heart as always started to beat faster. Looking at the starry sky she can sense that he was still looking at her and wondered why. Hermione had desperately tried to get used to her rapid heart beats whenever they touched, or the butterflies in her stomach that seem to burst out of her whenever she saw him but it didn't work . She still surprises herself whenever one or both come to effect. Not only that, but she knew why she had been reacting this way. She had been trying to deny it for weeks but at that moment, feeling his gaze still upon her; _Don't be ridiculous Hermione. It's Fred!_ _It must be some kind of reflex reaction. Can't it? Yes. It can. Gees, Fred Weasley? No way!_ She turned to look at him. He was now looking up at the stars. His now amber brown eyes softly shining from the stars. His face content and his eyes warm. He suddenly looked at her, something clicked simltaneously in heart and in her head. Their eyes told the same unspoken story. She could see it and feel it.Her heart swelled. _Oh No._

As if it was a movie, what would have been great and pinnacle revalations were followed by a bad event. Ron sprinted in the room. His face ash white and said with tiring breath, "Harry's been attacked by dementors." Hermione felt her world crash and sink. She looked over at Fred and she knew, even if she did have feelings for him and him for her. It was something that can wait. Harry needed her now. She continued to look at Fred, _No not now_. She stood up and left the room with Ron in a sprint. Leaving Fred dazed, but he understood.

**A/N:** Hey! This chapter is pretty short but I wanted to leave it in a revelation moment. I may repost it if something comes up because I am kind of worried, but I think this is my favourite chapter so far... hope you like it and enjoy! Please R&R! Thank you for reading! :D Oh, and I just wanted to say to everyone who has ever reviewed, knowing that I have readers like you inspires me even more to write. Not just this fic but future others too and Thank you!

**christy86:** Hey thank you for you continuing support and I hope you liked it :D

**ObsessedwithPotter:** WoW! Yey! Thank you so much! I'm very very happy that it is :D

**LittleRedOne:** :D – Beaming- I'm so glad you liked it! :D I hope you liked this chapter!

**Eveyxthexfaerie:** Love that twinkle :D

**littlemissmichelle:** WoHoo! Thanks! :D

**kimgeer:** Thanks! :D I hope you liked this chapter.

**Evenstar606:** Yea I wanted to put in this scene to connect them (even thought it doesn't seem that way at the start lol) then I remembered that they tested their products this year so I thought perfect! I forgot about the boggart! Though that's a great idea! Thank you for reading! :D

**breeza13:** Oh, the end scene played out in my head like a movie! Glad you liked it and I hope you liked this chapter!

**RubeusHagrid34**: Wow that's an excellent idea! Yes, I wouldn't kill him off! He's Fred! :D

**laenamoradadeROGUE:** Thank you! :D. I hope you like this chapter!

**mika-angione-marie:** He he.. Now you're making me giggle! Aww! Thanks Mika!! :D


	7. Light

Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I promise that I don't own Harry Potter!

**A/N:** Thank you for everyone who has reviewed, and I am very grateful for everyone who has stuck by me! I apologize for such a long update. I do have a reason and that's because of the HSC. It's my last year of High School and all of my teachers are stressing us out! Please forgive me. I promise to do my best to update quicker and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Happy reading!

Chapter Six

"YES!"

Hermione took out the shining maroon badge shaped liked a lion and delicately placed it on the palm of her hand facing up so its glistening golden P can be seen.

"Oh my god! Congratulations Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she rushed over to hug her friend. "Prefect! Though I must say I'm not surprised. You were a sure shot to get it."

Hermione hugged her friend back and both girls started to jump up and down in circles. "But all the same it's still a shock! Wow! Mum and Dad will be so proud! I'm going to send them an owl right now." Jubilant and happy she rushed over to her opened trunk at the foot of her bed and took out a bottle of ink, parchment and quill and started writing to her parents.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I am a Prefect! I am so happy I could scream! I hope both of you are well. Please reply as soon as you can._

_Love always, _

_Hermione. _

"Ginny, I'm going to go and borrow Hedwig from Harry so I can send the letter. Oh my goodness! Ron and Harry! One of them may be a prefect too."

"It will probably be Harry. As if my dear brother could get Prefect." Ginny remarked.

"Oh Ginny, Ron has the same chance as Harry…." She hesitated. Ginny looked at her incredulously. "Ginny, yes he does! I'll be back!"

With a parting hug and squeal Hermione sprinted off to Ron's and Harry's room on the second landing.

Not even bothering to knock, with her cheeks flushed and her hair flying Hermione barged into Ron and Harry's room. She was greeted with the sight of Fred, George and Ron sitting on the bed whilst Harry was standing. Harry seemed to be thinking hard whilst Ron looked bewildered. She caught Fred's eye. The same rising feeling starting form the pit of her stomach upwards to settle over body occurred. She turned quickly to look at Harry. Catching her breath and uttering several non-concluded questions Hermione saw Harry holding the same prefect badge that she had gotten.

"I knew it!"

Still bewildered Harry looked at Hermione as if this news was new to her. Realisation quickly hit him as he explained that it was Ron that was prefect and not him. She looked at Ron open mouthed with shock. Quickly pulling herself back. knowing that it was rude, she tried to explain that Ron was an obvious candidate for Prefect. But before she could embarrass herself more with incoherent sentences Mrs Weasley walked in through the door asking for school lists for shopping in Diagon Alley. The last distinct thoughts that Hermione remembered when she descended the stairs for dinner that night was her glance at Fred and Mrs. Wesley's numerous exclamations of "Ronnie!"

Dinner that night was incredibly loud and crowded. The table was full of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful home cooked meals and everyone was in great spirits. Apart from the Weasley family, Harry, Sirius and Hermione, several people from the order were also present. Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley and Mad Eye Moody were celebrating with the rest of them. The celebration was due to the return of the teenagers to school but that had turned into a joint celebration for Ron and Hermione's recent proclamation to Hogwarts' school authority system. Apart from a near death experience by choking on butterbeer, a reaction from Tonks lack of concern to her past school behaviour, like everyone else Hermione was laughing and conversing cheerfully.

Ron was talking about his new broomstick; its name completely went over Hermione's head, to anyone who would listen. Mrs. Weasley was once again arguing with Bill to cut his hair, Harry was talking surreptitiously with Mad Eye, Sirius and Lupin whilst Fred and George were whispering sneakily with Mundungus Fletcher. Instantly, when her eyes met Fred's bowed head her stomach, though almost empty from the lack of food she was eating while trying to talk to Ginny and Tonks, was suddenly full of butterflies training fiercely for world class gymnastics. She tried to look away but knew she couldn't. So often she would look at Fred, unable to look away, not having the will nor the want. Often he would catch her, or someone would break her out of her reverie, were the only times that she could turn away. When he did catch her she would feel the blood rush up to her face and quickly turn away, but not so quick that she doesn't see his wicked green eyes and teasing smile. She just couldn't seem to get a hold on her senses and look away, so, like every other time she felt herself staring.

Unable to hear what the twins and now Harry were saying under suspiciously hushed tones she stared at Fred's shiny auburn hair. More red rather than orange like Ginny's. How a few strands interchange with each other ever so slightly when he nods. How the dim light of the kitchen transcends a warm yellow glow on his hair and when she tilted her head slightly to the right she could see butterscotch highlights randomly streaked across his beautiful cherry red hair. She smiled slightly at her observation making him sound like a dessert. At that moment Fred looked at her. Hermione felt the inexplicable urge to turn away like every other time he had caught her out, but his deep gaze held her. She slowly dropped her smile. She could feel her butterflies cartwheel across her stomach and blood rush to her face. But she didn't look away.

For some reason, this time she couldn't. All the noise in the kitchen seemed to drown out as if she was slowly going under water. It reached to the point where the only thing she could hear were faint, quickening sounds of air and something thumping. She realised later that those sounds came form her breaths and heart. But the sounds seemed echoed. Like there were two sets of sounds. The sounds and its echo grew louder and quicker. Her butterflies wanted to burst out of her stomach, over and over again. They were locked into each other's gaze. She looked into his amber eyes and wished with all her might that she could read his thoughts at that moment. But between Fred and her, moments were limited these days. She was responsible for that. This thought came and went. For what seemed like ages only the sounds were all she could think about. It grew louder and quicker. She could feel her left hand lift to reach toward Fred. His gaze unyielding, just like hers.

_Thump_. A sharp pain shot through her side. Someone elbowed her on the side of her ribs, breaking their connection. Hermione turned to the source if the intrusion, dazed. She saw that she had leaned across the table. Her left hand outstretched, but not far enough to be suspicious.

"Huh" was all she could coherently mumble. She was out of breath, she felt her heart and it was thumping wildly against her chest.

"Were cleaning up." Ginny said warily.

"Oh." Hermione looked around and every one was heading out the door. She looked back at Fred but he was gone, halfway out the kitchen. Her face sank and felt her butterflies crash with exhaustion. She turned back to Ginny, "Sorry. I was distracted."

Ginny gave her one of her knowing looks and breathed a sigh of patient understanding. "Talk to him." She said soothingly. She was all too knowing about her situation with Fred now. Her friend was way too perceptive. So naturally, she was compelled to spill the beans.

Hermione looked glumly at Ginny and replied with resignation, "I can't".

Ginny replied by patting Hermione's head and shaking hers. Hermione knew she understood.

Climbing silently up the stairs, Hermione and Ginny were made aware of a commotion three staircases up. Voices with panicked edges drifted down to the first floor stairs. But the most distinct was that of a woman crying.

"Mum." Ginny gasped.

Just as the girls sprinted on the landing, they were knocked by three heavy bodies. Hermione was about to hit the floor when swift arms caught her and steadied her on her feet. She felt the warm hands slide from her back and leave her waist. She looked up into the darkness, already knowing who it was. "Thanks Fred." She said, her voice small.

"How'd you know it was me?" He asked.

"Just do." She still felt glum from his sudden disappearance from the dinner table and a little worn out from her wildly beating heart that kicked itself in top gear yet again. She stepped to the side and away from him to address the other bodies.

"What happened?" She asked towards the darkness.

"It's mum. She was trying to get rid of a boggart. It got a little better of her." It was George.

The voices were calming down but Mrs. Weasley's cries were still heartbreakingly loud.

"No!" There was a scuffle and a sound like feet being set firmly to the ground.

"Mum's fine. She just needs time to calm down." Fred.

"Lumos!" George enchanted. "For all the times to forget that I can legally to magic."

Hermione could now see Ron, George and Ginny being held firmly but gently by Fred at the bottom of the second stairs.

Hermione's heart ached for Ginny. She could only imagine how much it would hurt to hear your mother crying but cannot do anything about it. _Stupid boggart._ She thought. Fred slowly released Ginny to wrap his arms around her in a protective and comforting hug. "Hey, don't worry Gins. She'll be right. She's a tough witch our mum."

"Yeah." Agreed Ron. "She'll be hexing that boggart to hell tomorrow with fierce determination. It won't even have time to change!"

George walked over to Ginny just as Fred released her. He swept her up and carried her into her and Hermione's room. Ron kissed her forehead gently before they reached their door then walked across to Hermione, "You should stay with Ginny. Harry's up there with mum." Hermione nodded, knowing that her best friends will tell her everything tomorrow. Ron then sprinted up the stairs. Hermione made to go after George and Ginny when;

"Hermione." Fred called softly.

She turned around.

"Could we talk?" Fred asked, a slight hesitant edge to his voice.

"Ginny…" She couldn't leave Ginny now.

"I meant later. After she'd fallen asleep."

Hermione looked at him meaningfully, as much as she could through the darkness. "Ok."

"I'll be in my room. Knock three times on the door handle."

Hermione stood there, puzzled.

Fred understood her silence. "It's another secret combination. I'll be the only one who'll hear it. Don't ask me how it works cause I don't know." He added with amusement in his voice. "See you then."

Hermione stood on the landing as she saw his figure bound up the stairs without waiting for her reply.

* * *

Hermione was on the bottom of the stairs that led to the third floor landing, on her way to have her talk with Fred- it took a lot of re assuring before Ginny had finally gone to sleep. But otherwise she fell asleep with dry eyes. That's thanks mostly to Hermione's advice for handling Harry- when a sniffing sound caught her attention that came from the room on the right. Cautiously, she walked up the stairs as to not make her presence known. As she made her way up she could hear a voice talking softly, soothingly. She would know that voice anywhere. Fred. She reached the bottom of the landing where a door stood ajar at the tiniest. She could hear the sobbing clearly; Mrs. Weasley. Hermione's heart gave out to the loving woman. Whatever happened to the Boggart terrified her so much. She slid down, her back against the wall right next to the door and right on the edge of the stairs going downwards. She'll have to really pay attention not to fall down.

"Mum, you know that it won't happen. I mean sure, it will when were 80, crinkled and grey with a few teeth missing. Okay, maybe George and I will have more body parts missing than just our teeth." Fred soothed, amused.

Mrs. Weasley gave a sound of amusement and anger through her sobs.

"Nothing will happen to us. We have Dumbledore on our side. And when the time comes that we have to duel, we'll be ready. We Weasley children do have Harry Potter and Hermione Granger as friends. We'll be just fine. Don't worry mum."

Hermione smiled. Warm gratitude and awe at Fred's lovingly soothing words.

"Go to sleep mum. We all have to wake up early tomorrow to catch the train."

Hermione heard softly decreasing sobs. She panicked. She heard Fred saying goodnight to Mrs. Weasley and tried to run as quietly as she could up the stairs but Hermione's running was slower than a normal person's walk. She reached the stairs and climbed two at a time when suddenly hands gripped her waist and lifted her off the second step and placed her softly back on the landing.

"You should have borrowed one of our extendable ears. Then you wouldn't have had to balance yourself next to the stairs. It would have been a lot less dangerous. You seem to have a fetish for falling over them." Hermione felt embarrassed for being caught out for eavesdropping. But Fred's voice was nothing but amused.

"I'm sorry." She began, "I didn't mean to-"

Fred cut her off, "Don't apologise. Your family. You are whether we like it or not." He continued offhand.

Hermione kept silent, her face burned with the sudden emotion that his words triggered inside of her. Homesickness suddenly filled her and the need to hold her mum and dad swelled to the point of tears flowing freely down her burning face.

"Hermione." Fred's big and warm hands encased her shoulders lightly as he bowed his head down to her level. "It was joke. I didn't mean it at all. You are family. And we're glad that you are." His voice was now soothing and anxious for she did not reply.

Hermione's emotions were still rolling with homesickness, she could feel Fred's warms hands lightly holding her shoulder as she cried. But her mind was a boggle of thoughts and his words took longer to register. After a few seconds of silent cries and as Fred rubbed his thumb in circles around against her shoulders in comfort, his words sank in_…family. Just family…nothing more._ Maybe it was the stress of the oncoming threat or maybe it was the stress of school or the stress of nearly losing one of your best friends or maybe it was just the homesickness or maybe it was all of those reasons that Hermione's reason gave way to her never present assuming anger. Her thoughts spiralled at the one statement. Her emotions suddenly took a turn form brooding homesickness to a sweep of despair at his proclamation. Her heart swelled and un-swell rapidly, taking her emotions down to the very bottom of her spirit. And jus as quickly her emotions turned again, this time to anger and embarrassment as she made conclusions. Fred had never liked her. The moments, the touches, the connection were always one sided and she felt ashamed at herself and felt betrayed. Without thinking she hastily shoved herself away from his gentle grip and looked up at his face, that was masked by darkness, and said through gritted teeth.

"Family? Is that all I am to you? What? A sister? That's all?" she wasn't livid, but she was both annoyed and deeply morose.

Though Fred's features were covered by darkness his voice gave way to his emotions; confused and hesitant. "Hermione? What are you-"

"I feel so idiotic! You were there knowing that I feel for you. And you had the decency to act like you did to!" Hermione was really shouting now.

"What?!" Fred seemed to have caught on and was now shouting back. Both of them forgetting where they are and what time it was.

"A sister!" Hermione shouted, sounding like she was chastising herself.

"Hang on!" Fred shouted back.

"NO! Why didn't you just tell me in the first place! Huh!? You could have just told me that you weren't interested! Sister am I?! We-"

"YEAH!" Fred retorted, as he cut her off. "Well you haven't been giving me a chance to be something more!"

Hermione was silent. His words struck her like an arrow through her heart. But instead of releasing pain when it pierced, it released hope.

"You've been treating me like a prier ever since Harry came and I understand Hermione I do. But now this!" He breathed in. "What is it that you want Hermione?"

And there was silence.

"Hey you two!" A voice broke through the silence. Hermione jerked her head up, startled to hear such a livid sounding hiss,

"Can you please take your lovers' quarrel to somewhere that the whole house can't hear?" Sirius. He sounded amused now.

"Sirius." Hermione could feel her face turning red. "We're sorry."

"No matter. Just keep it down. And don't stay up too late. You both have a train to catch tomorrow." Hermione heard footsteps retreating deeper into what she assumed was the fifth floor landing.

"He's right." Hermione spoke, resigned. "It's late, and we have a long train ride to school tomorrow." Shee made to pass him and go down the stairs but an arm blocked her.

"Hermione," He whispered.

"Aw Fred just go kiss her already!" Face burning and butterflies flying she snapped her head up to find George with his wand lit up and Sirius up on the fifth landing, wide grins stretched across their mischievous faces.

"I will. But only when she wants me too." He spoke to the men upstairs.

"And I can wait, until that day comes." He spoke only to her. "I will."

"Fred." George spoke. "You should tell her how long the list is. It's quite long, about 10 feet of parchment. And you know what Hermione, your number-" George cut off as he saw Hermione's hurt and livid face as she looked up. She then swiftly made her way back to her room. So fast that she did not hear George finish his sentence reluctantly- "one. It was a joke.". For the second time that evening she felt her heart pop like someone had popped it with a pin. Yet again she was angry and hurt. How much can she take in one day?

She paced back and forth in her tiny room. But her pacing caused Ginny to stir in her sleep. She didn't want to wake her up, it's been a long night for Ginny too and she needed her rest, especially for tomorrow. If only there was a place she could think and let herself come down. And then it hit her. The passage! Of course she wasn't going to go out into the other end. Goodness! As if she needed more strain. She was just going to think, walk up and down those stairs until she can think and breathe properly again.

She walked quickly to the door without breaking her pace and opened it with the necessary combination. As soon as the door closed she began pacing up and down the stairs. Her heart was still crumpled up in a heap and her head hurt both from lack of sleep and from the shouting. Only then did she realize; why had nobody woke up from their shouting? They were extremely loud. She was on her third time down the stairs when she hear a grinding against the right wall. She turned her and found an intricately carved wooden door made from the same mahogany wood as its adjacent walls. It was a double door, with a door knob that looked like two animals mushed together. Mushed was the only way to describe what it looked like. It was majestic and seemed to belong in an entrance to a mansion in the eighteenth century home rather than a hidden passageway. The design was simple yet complex at the same time. Perhaps it was the way it was patterned, creating an illusion of complexity. As always, curiosity took over and turned the door handle. Unlike all the other doors in this house, this door did not need a combination to open. The instant she opened the door she was met by a trail of moonlight lighting the stairs that leaned upwards. This was odd, the house didn't have any open rooms.

Regardless, the moonlight seduced her and she was only willing to follow where it leads to. There was something about this path that made it seem magical. That was saying something, for she lived in a magical world. She reached the top and found a room with opened folded up doors that lead to a balcony. White translucent curtains sheathed half of the open door way, slowly swaying to the rhythm of the light wind. The moonlight was coming straight from the night, covering not only the path but also the entire balcony, casting the curtains' shadow across the dark room. And there was one shadow that didn't belong to the swaying curtains.

He turned his head to look at her. He was leaned against the edge of the door frame; his hands in his pockets, his face deep with emotions trying to make them seen but somehow all of them shone at the same time. He straightened up and faced his whole body towards her. Unaware that she was still in the path of the moonlight, she stayed where she was. Her whole being illuminated by the soft light of the moon against a backdrop of darkness; she was the only light. Her illuminated hair shone silver and were softly dancing with the wind. She saw Fred's eyes widen and his expression of awe and wonder won out over the others. Hermione was still, she didn't know what to say. She wasn't expecting to confront him so soon. Her emotions were still high with misery. She had a hundred questions, how did he get here? How did he know about the passage? But then he spoke.

"I was wondering when you would find this place." He turned his head to signal the balcony. His expression changed, he now looked sad and troubled, looking more like a little child rather than a seventeen year old. "George was only joking. It's not true. I don't have a list for all the girls I want to kiss." Hermione couldn't speak even if she wanted to. She was much too busy looking at Fred's lovely face sad, it broke her soul." If there was, there would have only been one person in the list. And that would be you."

Hermione didn't register how he finished the sentence for she was already striding over to him with only one thing in her mind. She saw his eyes widen with surprise as she stood on her toes and cupped his face in her small hands, and without pausing- she let go off her reservations and indecisions. And for once in her life acted on her emotions- and kissed him. With the moonlight illuminating them both, she placed a soft chaste kiss on his velvet soft lips.

**A/N**: Hey everyone I hope you enjoyed it! :D Please as always I'm open for

constructive criticism so feel free! :D

**00jade****:** thank you :D

**JadeWildcat :** yeah, I didn't want to jump in to the relationship straight away so I left room for them to get to know each other and figure out their feelings.

**vampire-luvr:** I'm glad you like it!

**LittleRedOne :** Late night talks to late night kisses.. have they evolved?

**Angel737:** Thank you :D Yea I'm the same I can't read Hermione/Ron for some reason it doesn't catch my interest. I'm glad you like it so far.

**Evenstar606:** Yeah.. Fred starkers.. what a sight .. Hm.. that would be difficult for him.. I hope it turns out okay.. lol..

**littlemissmichelle:** I hope you liked it!

**ObsessedwithPotter**: Thank you :d I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**rif-raf08:** Just don't tell anybody! He he.. lol

**Emeloo2:** Realism is part of my aim :D Thank you I hope you liked this chapter.

**RubeusHagrid34:** I know ey! :D LOL! I thought it was gonna take 20 chapters! Im kidding! :D

**dancerPat:** I'm glad I did!

**TheCrzyinglyInsne1**: I know exactly what you mean.. It seems more satisfying and truer when love takes its time.. lol.. yes I will be making the fic through out the review and never apologise because a review is never boring or pointless. I hope you like this chapter :D

**jessirose85:** Thank you!

**Killisandra:** Thanx! I hope you liked this chapter :D

**Willow95:** No worries.. Thank you for updating :D

**Eveyxthexfaerie:** Oh yes. Definitely! -

**emaleekaye93**: Hope you liked this chapter!

**breeza13:** I love Sirius, I believe his marauder days should come out more often! :D

**WRItaHOliC4eva:** Hey I hope you liked this chapter!

**firedragonheart:** Thank You -

**OctoberAddums:** Thank you for pointing it out. I do, do that and sometimes I don't know how to fix it. I have been aware of it through this chapter though I felt that I may have slipped several time again. But I will keep it in mind as I go on. Thank you :D

**Jermified:** I'm sorry I've kept you waiting! I hope you liked this chapter :D


	8. Heart

Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I only wish I did invent Harry Potter, but sadly I did not…. Enjoy:)**

Hermione woke. _Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. OH MY GOD!_

"I kissed Fred Weasley!"

"You did?"

Hermione turned to her right and saw Ginny with an amused awe strucked expression.

"Well done Hermione. Never thought you had it in you."

As the two girls walked the flight of stairs towards the kitchen where the group and some of the guards (who was placed for Harry's extra protection now that You-Know-Who was back) taking the kids to Hogwarts congregated, Hermione recounted the night's events to Ginny in phenomenal speed.

"So I kissed your brother." Hermione finished, conveniently stopping right in front of the kitchen door.

"So you kissed my brother." Ginny repeated. "Honestly Hermione I was wondering when you two were gonna get over it and kiss."

"Ginny!"

"What?! Seriously. I am so happy for the both of you. I can tell that he really likes you, so that's covered in the best friend section. And I know you really like him so the brother bit is covered also. Hermione, you have nothing to worry about." said Ginny reassuringly.

Hermione smiled, grateful that her best friend understood her worries.

"Shall we go in?"

"Fred's in there." Hermione replied.

"Yes Hermione, Fred is in there." Ginny began to laugh. "You're not scared are you?"

"What if I kissed him badly?"

Ginny laughed reassuringly, "No Hermione, you couldn't have. A kiss between two people who have been lusting and liking over each other for weeks is unlikely to share a bad kiss. Unless you went in for a full snog. Then maybe."

Hermione continued to stare at Ginny, written across her face was shock.

"You didn't did you?" Ginny asked.

"No! I did not Ginny Weasley! What kind of girl do you think I am?!"

"Ok Hermione I was joking! And keep your voice down, as noisy as it is in the kitchen they may still hear you." She laughed. "What did happen after the kiss? How did you break the ice so to speak?"

Hermione paused. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I honestly don't remember."

"The kiss was that good huh? Couldn't remember anything else?" Ginny began to tease.

"No Ginny, I don't remember." Hermione began to panic. Something wasn't right. And it was not because of the kiss. Even though it was a perfect kiss.

"Relax Hermione. I'm sure it's just because of the excitement. And if you're still worried then go ask Fred what happened."

"You mean talk to Fred?"

"Yes talk to Fred. Hermione, it will be ok. I know it will be."

"I know. Thanks Ginny."

"Let's go in before they send out a search party."

The kitchen was chaos. Breakfast, books, clothes, animals and brooms were trying to cram themselves either into people's mouths, their trunk or both.

"There you are! You girls are late! We are all late! So you best be eating your breakfast and packing your luggage at the same time." Mrs. Weasley cried, her cheeks flushed by all the commanding she's been doing all morning.

"Mum, you forgot. We're girls. We've packed two days ago." Ginny replied.

"Oh, right. Sorry dears. Go eat your breakfast and then take your trunk to the front door."

"Yes Mum."

"Yes Mrs. Weasley."

And the girls left to fuss over Sirius and Mr. Weasley who were happily sculpting a hippogriff out of pancakes, cream and strawberries.

"Oh look, Fred's by himself."

"Smooth Ginny."

She laughed, "I see Harry, Ron and George stuffing their mouths and their trunks with food. I should go hit them across the head before mum sees them and hits them with a frying pan."

Hermione laughed as Ginny walked away.

Steadying herself, she turned towards Fred. _It's only Fred._ And with that she walked towards the end of the table, taking buttered toast on the way and sat herself in front of him.

"Good Moring."

He looked up from his porridge. He smiled slightly and replied, "Moring."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He replied, a bigger smile across his face.

"You looked like you were really taking your porridge seriously." She teased.

He laughed. "No, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"The financial woes of trying to start a joke shop."

"Oh. Right." She was hoping that he was thinking about last night.

They stayed silent for a few minutes when she couldn't take it anymore she said, "Fred."

He looked up.

"About last night."

A look of confusion crossed his face.

"Um..Err.." _That's and odd expression_. She thought.

He tilted his head on the side.

_If you're teasing me Fred Weasley by pretending not to know, I will kill you._

"You know.." She tried again.

"I do…?" He asked.

"Our kiss."

And finally his expression changed, but to shock.

"Hernmione are you feeling allright?"

"What do you mean? Fred, last night. The passage way, the balcony, the moon. Our kiss."

A flush of unknown emotion flashed cross his face. "Hermione I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Hermione's heart burned. "What do you mean?"

He leaned slowly towards her, "We didn't kiss." He said gently.

Hermione's heart began to race. And her temper flared, something that doesn't happen without good reason. But this was a good reason." Fine! Then what were you doing last night?" Hermione reasoned unable to except it.

"I was in my room waiting for you." He said softly, hurt in his voice.

"But I showed. I found you in Mrs. Wesley's room. She was crying and you were comforting her. You caught me listening in and then we had a fight. I ran away and then I found a passage way and somehow it led me to you." She urged him, hoping he would remember. But his expression stayed the same.

"You don't remember any of that?" She said slowly.

Fred leaned even closer. Gentleness and sorry in his voice, "Hermione, I don't know any of it. Because it didn't happen."

The words struck her hard. Unexplainable pain shot through her and she couldn't think clearly. She could see him talking but she couldn't' hear him.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want to believe it. It had to have happened. It was real. She could still feel his lips on hers as she looked across from him. Yet he didn't remember, didn't know. Her heart scorched, but it wasn't only her heart burning anymore. Her whole body was burning from pain she never thought she could feel and embarrassment beyond she had ever experienced.

She stood and walked as quickly as she can without running towards anywhere. Anywhere but near Fred Weasley.

But it wasn't meat to be. There she sat in a crowded Hogwart's Express, still overwhelmed by her feelings, and sitting directly in front there was Fred. _I can't catch a break. _

She did try to distract herself. She changed sitting positions from cross legged to one leg tucked underneath her but that only gave her pins and needles. She tried reading a book but she couldn't concentrate because everyone was so noisy. Especially Ginny who got hurt by the twin's flying trunk just before they left Grimmauld Place. She was taking advantage of her brothers' remorse by announcing loudly and clearly her conditions which if they meet, only then will she forgive them. She also tried joining in to the numerous conversations but she found she didn't have the heart to be enthusiastic enough about any of the topics. So she gave up trying to distract herself and resigned to let her feelings win and wallow in them at least until the train reaches Hogsmead Station.

"Anything from the trolley?" She vaguely heard the elderly witch.

"Do you want anything?" Fred asked.

Hermione looked up. This was the first time Fred had spoken to her since that morning. "No thank you, I'm all right for now."

"Harry, Harry, Are you all right?" Ginny shouted.

Hermione turned towards her best friend, and laughed. Harry's face was bright red and planted on it was them most curious smile.

Hermione waved her hand in front of his face. Both she and Ginny laughed, for his facial expression stayed the same. She looked around the compartment laughing, and stopped shortly, the rest of the boys looked at her curiously. "What? It's funny."

"What's funny?" Ron asked perplexed.

"Harry." Hermione and Ginny sighed. Boys can be so dense. "Oh never mind."

Ginny leaned over and whispered to Hermione, "I never liked Cho Chang."

"Ginny?" Hermione asked inquisitively.

"It was her Harry was spellbound about, no pun intended. I saw her out on the corridor."

Hermione looked at her friend and smiled apologetically and replied. "Don't worry Ginny, if things were meant to be it will happen. But for the mean time, go out there and have fun. Be yourself, and find yourself. And when things are ready, it will happen." Her friend smiled.

"You're right. Thanks Hermione, you're a great friend. And that crazy-headed brother of mine is lucky to even have your affections." Ginny stopped short.

"Oh Hermione I'm so stupid. I completely forgot. Everything changed so fast. But that's not an excuse, I'm so sorry."

Hermione laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because for one of toughest people I know you can really plead."

"Yes well, being the only daughter you have to know how to handle certain situations in which you get the most advantageous results."

Hermione laughed again. "Ok, I'm going to assume I know what that means."

And both girls laughed.

The train finally stopped at Hogsmead Station and everyone gathered their belongings. As they stepped out onto the platform, they were met with a painfully cold and spine tingling wind. Hermione shivered, but as her hands covered her shoulders to rub them, she felt the softest and warmest travelling cloak around her shoulders.

"You're freezing." Fred whispered in her ear as he leaned over her, hi hand still rested upon her shoulders.

She turned her head. And yet again, like so many times during the school holidays in the black house, their eyes met. His warm amber eyes, they looked and worried. "Hermione, I..-"

"FRED!" A big voice shouted. A girl's voice.

Hermione's head snapped towards the direction of the voice. And there was Angelina Johnson, Harry's quidditch teammate, extremely popular and easily one of the most sought after girls in school, was striding over to them, a big smile on her face.

She strode past her Hermione and straight onto Fred's shell-shocked lips.

If the cold didn't freeze Hermione to the spot she was standing on, this certainly did.

"Why did you not call me all holidays Freddy. I was waiting." She exclaimed coming out of her embrace.

Hermione stared. Shell so unbelievably shocked, she couldn't speak. Her heart, which had hope swelling on it, was replaced by a heavy lead anchor hitched to it and was rapidly sinking. And as bizarre as it was she also half wanted to laugh out loud, for Angelina Johnson was the last person she would hear calling Fred, 'Freddy'. All these emotion in one day was way too much for her untrained heart. She was never a romantic. And all these feelings are wearing her down. _What_ _did I get myself into? Oh well, too late you're already in it. _

Fred looked at Hermione, shock plastered across his face.

"Hermione" He began.

"Don't worry about it _Freddy_," Hermione began, all other emotions forgotten, and the only one remaining was anger. Loud and fierce.

"No, you don't understand." He pleaded.

She turned her heel towards the horseless carriages and she replied sharply, "Yes, I think I do."

_I hate you. But dammit! I'm still going to fight for you._

A/N: Dodging bullets! It probably wasn't what you guys expected but I do hope you guys still enjoyed it. I deeply apologise for the humongous wait! I'm not Tafe anymore. I'll be at my clinical placement which means for the rest of the year I have free time! This means updates that don't take 11 months! I know this is kinda short but I really want to start again and keep this story going. I hope this was an ok start. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading even though I haven't updated. I appreciate all the support! Thank you :D


	9. Ready

**A/N: WOW. It's been such a long time since I've updated on this story! I thought I was going to stop bui it alwasy comes back to me! Readers may not want to read it anymore due to my lack of updating but the readers who do read it despite that, THANK YOU so much. **

**The story isn't edited very well and I am very sorry for that. I have a beat and they will be eiting all of my updates before they came out! It was just that I was so excited that I have a chapter again so I've updated it anyway :) Hopefull it doesn't suck too bad and I will be re-posting all of my chapters EDITED so it is more readable! **

**Here it is! :) **

"Hermione, Hermione!"

Ron's voice finally registered in her brain.

"What Ron?" Hermione replied.

"Are u gonna eat that lamb chop?"

"Huh? Oh, no. You can have it."

Hermione had been looking at Fred talking with his twin and their friend Lee Jordan. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but judging by the pair of mischievous grins on their faces, it was no good.

As if hearing his voice, Fred looked up. His grin grew wider and Hermione felt herself blush. She looked down; her empty plate seemed to be very interesting all of a sudden. She looked up again, only to find Fred still looking at her, but any trace of mischief was gone. It was replaced by a look she couldn't read. Longing? Or was it sadness? Or was it both? She wasn't sure.

That made her head hurt. He has been giving her mixed signals and she couldn't tell what he was thinking, more importantly what he wanted. While both Hermione and Fred were still having their staring contest, Angelina chose that time to sit herself next to Fred, causing them to break away from their reverie. _Just great,_ thought Hermione, occupying herself by staring at her empty plate once again.

It's been two weeks since Hermione vowed to fight for Fred. But like all realities, life caught up to her. Being in her fifth year at Hogwarts meant she will be taking her OWLs this year. This also meant A LOT of studying, spending time in the library and lecturing Harry and Ron to start assignments and studying for their exams early. Not that this was new. But this year seemed different; she wasn't going to be on their backs constantly about it.

They had other matters on their minds. One of which was the new Defence the Dark Arts teacher. Umbridge, which they all vowed to call her; for the term 'professor' showed too much respect and none of them had any for her. Umbridge basically told the school in a highly rude manner during the start of term feast that the Ministry of Magic was interfering at Hogwarts. That was not good. They had to watch their backs and their actions more closely while she's around. Umbridge of course was in Fudge's side, thinking that both Harry and Dumbledore were liars as to their claim that You-Know-Who was back. More importantly, she and Ron had to make sure that Harry doesn't lose his cool around her, for although she seems innocent in her tones, her eyes bore evil.

Although she had no time to do the actual 'fighting' for Fred's attention, she has been looking thoroughly at his actions these past two weeks and couldn't help but notice that he was subtly avoiding her. Sure they actually never crossed paths in the past than merely pleasantries or when the twins would talk to Ron and Harry, but it irked her that he was more distant even after what she sure felt as chemistry during the summer at the Black House. And as much as she knew she's probably setting herself up for either humiliation or hurt or both, she wanted to find out what his take on things were.

But of course there was the other thing, his girlfriend. Actually, she doesn't know if they were together, they sure weren't publicising it so she wasn't so sure. But she has seen them in dark corners of the dormitory so she was sure they were something if not a couple.

Still, Hermione felt annoyed. Chasing after Fred Weasley and obsessing over his every action to decipher their meaning was not suppose to be part of what she was suppose to be doing this year. She was a prefect, a respectable part of the Hogwarts student council who was chosen to make a difference to the school. But heck, her she was _thinking_ about Fred. Oh well, if this was how it was gonna be, might as well make her worth her while.

But there was also the matter of Harry and Ron, if she started to act on her intentions they will be asking questions and she wasn't sure she wanted to answer them just yet. Well, she could always choke it down to payback for what Fred and George did to her at the Black House. Where she thought he was actually close to death.

Yes, that's it. She'll use that reason, it was quite infallible.

_Hmmm maybe I should start now._ Just as Hermione thought this Ginny appeared across from her, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"What is it you're concocting? A plan? Dare I say a plan to finally do something about my dimwit of a brother?" Ginny asked, amused.

"Maybe." Hermione replied with a knowing smile.

"Just do whatever it is you already planned to do. He deserves whatever it is, I'm sure. Especially with the way he' been avoiding you." Ginny scowled, she clearly disapproves of her brother's actions.

"Hmm. Well I wasn't actually planning on avoiding him, quite the opposite actually." Hermione grinned.

"What are you planning inside that bushy hair of yours Hermione Granger? Can I help?" Ginny asked with enthusiasm.

Oh, Hermione loved her friend so much.

"Well not tonight, but _when_ I do, I'll definitely come get you." That's it, she has made up her mind, and she's going to start tonight.

She had a plan, and that plan was to give Fred Weasley her full attention, a.k.a tease him until he caved. So much so that hehas to do something or at least confront her about it. And then when he does, she'll be reciprocating his avoidance and to see how he responds to it. She could always have a civil conversation with him about it all. But what was the fun in that?

She wasn't sure how she had come to be like this, but if she knew Fred, and she did, he'll appreciate her conniving efforts.

Ok, at first, her plan does sound cruel, but it really wasn't. She really just wanted to know if he really does like her.

Or if what she felt between them in the Black House was real, or even meant anything to him. Because right now, it seemed like he didn't. And she just wanted to know for sure. And if he did reciprocate what she felt and fought for her like she will him, then maybe it could be something. Even if there wasn't, what she felt with him was worth trying. That she knew.

Oh gosh, she's become a romantic. How did that happen? But most importantly, how in the world did she start liking him. Oh yes, yup, she _liked_ Fred Weasley. That, she also knew.

_Public displays of 'attention' would surely get his attention._ She mused, it was so corny she laughed to herself.

With that thought she winked at Ginny and strode over to the other side of the Gryffindor table.

* * *

Fred was annoyed. He was having a great time staring at Hermione when Angelina broke their gazes by loudly plonking herself on his right side.

"Hey Fred." She said happily, nowing full well what she had just done.

"Hey Angelina." He groaned. With that he turned his back on her and continued his conversation with his twin and friend.

"Aww come on, you're not going to seriously ignore me are you?" She teased.

"No, he's just gonna make you beg." George teased while Lee laughed.

"You know Angie, seeming like a tease doesn't become you. But if you want to practice on me, be my guest. But not at the moment. " Fred commanded in a warning tone.

"And being an arse definitely doesn't do anything to your sex appeal what so ever." She challenged.

"Ooo. She got you there mate." Lee chimed in, holding back a laugh.

"Lee, you think I have sex appeal?" Fred gushed, as he fluttered his eyes at his friend.

George feigned a look of pure hurt and said "Lee, I...I... thought you said I was sexy." George's face was amicable, he looked so hurt. "So what you said to me last night was all meaningless? How could you!" George admonished and slapped Lee square on the face, the soud reverberating throughout the Great Hall.

Everyone who wasn't watching the scnene now turned too look. They didn't know weher to laugh or not.

After a few seconds of complete silence George quipped," And that folks was a Slappy Cushion! Perfect in size and shape to fit in your hand while you take a slap at whoever it is you want to give a smack to! It comes with real life sound effects and a complimentary red cheek to your Slapee! Special offer, only 6 Sickles and 3 Knuts!"

Eveyone stayed quiet, and then one by one they turned to look at Lee's face and the look of pure horror still frozen on it made them all start laughing and cheering. Everybody appreciated a good act, especially when the twins were involved. And with that, George stood and bowed at the applauding crowd.

Fred laughed so hard his insides were hurting! Bu stopped short as Umbrige's beady eyes eyed him menacingly. He stared back, smiling his famous Weasly smile.

"Cheer up mate" George said, patting Lee on the back. George's voice snapped him back into attention. Clearly Lee still hadn't snapped back to reality yet.

"Attention seeker!" Angelina heartily commented while laughing. Fred turned toAngelina hscowling, which stopped her laughing, he was still annoyed and she knew why,

"Com on Fred! It's been two weeks since the kiss and it was only a joke! I thought you'd appreciate that! And I also know who you are interested in." Angelina quipped.

"And you are making it damn hard for me to do anything about it because you keep appearing at the most inconvenient times when it may actually be going somewhere." He spat.

"Actually boy, YOU are the one that is making things hard, YOU are avoiding her and YOU are using me as an excuse." She challenged.

Fred knew she was right. He just didn't know how to approach Hermione and tell her how he felt.

Ok, he did convince her that nothing happened between them the night before their return to Hogwarts. He had lied to her in order to protect her from what may be a very unpleasant relationship with him.

Arr! It was only his selfish insecurities that drove him to lie to her. He didn't want to. But he was afraid she'd reject him once they woke up the next morning. Only to find out that she may not have, but he still continued with the lie. Now he'll never bloody know! _Bloody git!_ He chided himsef.

If she could only give him another hint, a stronger hint that she felt something, then he would act. But he was confused, he'd taken into evading her more than usual because of his mistake and hasn't had the courage to actually man up and close the gap between them to find out what she may be feeling or have felt for him.

Geez, when did he become such a wuss? Especially about a girl, and Hermione Granger none the less.

"Angie I'm sorry –." But he wasn't able to finish the sentence as at that exact moment, Hermione squeezed herself in between them, turning her back to the latter as she sat down.

Fred's heart skipped a beat.

What the hell? He wanted to say something but he couldn't help but look over her body as she sat down. Well she did squeeze herself down in between him and Angelina, and there wasn't much space, he no choice but to look.

The close proximity was starting to make him feel hazy.

When she was seated he thought she was going to speak but instead leaned her head towards his ear and whispered in a sultry voice, "Hi Fred".

An involuntary shiver coursed through him. Did she have to sound so sexy?

That did it, his heart geared into overdrive; he could hear his pulse racing and hope she didn't hear. He turned his head towards her, their eyes locked on to each other, their faces now only centimetres apart.

If her husky greeting and smouldering eyes weren't enough, Hermione turned her heads towards his right side.

What is she doing? He couldn't think, he held his breath, his body frozen, anticipating what was to come.

And then he felt it. Her warm breath as she blew gently tickling his neck at the exact spot which his pulse has rapidly and, he was sure, visibly beating. A spot he never knew held so many nerve endings making his mind and body react, _intensely_. His mind blanked, he involuntarily closed his eyes at the sensations he was feeling. He couldn't explain them but they were overwhelmingly powerful for such a simple action.

He had never, ever, _ever _felt like this.

_Oh my heavenly god. _Fred thought. _She will be the death of me._

_Hmm, its on Fred Weasley_. Hermione thought as she smiled.

Neither Hermione nor Fred were aware of the eyes of practically each and every student in the Great Hall on them. Nor did they see the questioning looks among those eyes that held the questions; _what the?_

* * *

**A/N: That was the first time Fred's POV was included! Let me know what you think of it! :) **


	10. Set

**A/N: Hey everyone! thank you to everyone who kept reading this story even after a very very long lull! It is very very much appreciated! Yes this story was once called "Fred Weasley? No Way! Oh no..." lol I'm so sory for the confusion! I'm not very good with titles, at all! But without further ado... here it is! Enoy! :) Pleas review and let me know what you think of it so far :) Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: ...still not mine!**

Chapter 9

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned around to face her gobsmacked friends.

"Yes?" She asked coyly, a smile playing on her lips.

"What the hell was that? The Great Hall's till buzzing with what just happened." Ron exclaimed.

"Well..." Hermione started. "A prank?"

"A prank? On Fred? Why?" Harry asked, confused.

"Harry, are you blind?" called Ginny as she caught up with the trio from the Great Hall. "Please tell me you've noticed Fred and Hermione... you know..." she paused as she made a gesture with her fingers colliding with each other. "_Interacting."_

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron get your mind out of the gutter! NOT that kind of interacting!"Ginny protested.

"Well they were very friendly over the summer, "Harry supposed.

Hermione wanted to laugh at her friends. Seeing Harry and Ron trying to digest and understand the situation was quite amusing. Neither wizard wanting to acknowledge that their one and only girl best friend could be involved with a guy, romantically. She let them mull over it for a few more seconds before she decided to put them out of their misery.

"Harry, Ron." She started. Both boys and Ginny stopped talking and looked at her. Ginny flashed a freckled smile. "I like Fred."

Hermione thought that over the past five minutes of insinuation that the announcement would be expected, but the reaction of both boys made her realise otherwise.

"WHAT?" Ron shouted.

Harry just laughed, incoherently saying, "Fred? No way!" followed by fits of laughter after every few words.

"It's NOT funny!" Hermione exclaimed, her temper rising.

"But Hermione! It's Fred! He's a rule breaker! I didn't think he was your type." Said Ron.

"Harry! STOP LAUGHING!" Ginny exclaimed.

"It's ok Ginny, let me." Hermione said to her friend, as she stepped towards Harry her hand flying atop his head landing with a resounding _slap_. Followed by Ginny and another by Ron in quick successions.

"Hey! That hurt!" Harry hollered, rubbing his thrice slapped head. He turned to Ron and cried, "Why did you slap me?"

Ron looked abashed and shrugged, "I was caught in the moment."

"Hermione why don't you explain to them what your plan is. Thinking makes their head hurt." Said Ginny turning to glare at the boys.

Hermione looked at her boys hoping they wouldn't laugh at her, "Ok. Long story short, I like Fred. But he's going out with Angelina, so my plan is to acquire him for myself."

Ginny burst out laughing, "Really Hermione? You're really going to _acquire _him?"

Hermione glared at her friend.

She then turned to look at Harry and Ron, she tried to read their expressions but she couldn't.

Harry spoke first, "But Hermione, Fred isn –""OW! RON! Stop slapping me!"

But before Harry can speak again Ron pipped in, "So what are you going to do? You know, he's pretty enamoured by Angelina. You need solid actions in order to snag him from her."

"I don't want to _snag_ him. You're making him sound like a fish I want to catch and eat for dinner."

"Or dessert." Ginny noted.

All three Gryffindors looked at her. Hermione's face was red as a beetroot.

Ginny exhaled with a laugh, "Or not."

Hermione was the first to recuperate, "No. I want to win him. And let Angelina know she's got competition."

"Well I'm pretty sure with your affectionate display at dinner; Angelina knows that she has competition." Said Harry.

Ron's trance broke, "Well you will need our help. So I'm in. And yes Hermione, you will need us."

"You know I'm in." Ginny offered, smiling at her friend.

"Well, I'm still a little confused, but anything for you Hermione." Harry chimed in.

Hermione smiled at her friends, she was so happy to have their support. She couldn't believe that Harry and Ron accepted her confession so easily. Well she wasn't going to question it; she knows a good thing when she sees it.

"Ok." Hermione agreed.

"Let's get at it then." Ron said, taking Hermione's arm.

* * *

Fred was rooted to the wooden chair he was sitting on at the Great Hall. He still cannot explain or fathom what just happened between him and Hermione mere minutes ago. What was more perplexing was that after their ordeal Hermione casually stood up, smiled at Angelina and walked out of the Great Hall without looking back. Fred barely noticed Harry and Ron follow her out after a minute. He turned to look at George, shock plastered across his face.

"Hi bro." George smirked. His twin looking at him devilishly, the way he looked when he knew something that Fred didn't.

"What do you know?"Fred asked.

"I know nothing." George confessed. "I'm just smiling."

Fred wasn't convinced but decided to let it go, George would tell what he knew in time. "What the hell was that?"

"I think she thinks we are going out." Said a voice from behind him.

Fred forgot Angelina was still sitting on his other side.

"What? Why? We don't give out that vibe." Fred protested.

"Well you never actually told her otherwise and you and I have been talking a lot in dark corners. And that does look suspiciously romantic. To girls." Angelina explained.

"But we were talking about Weasly's Wizard Wheezes supplies." Fred pondered.

"Mate, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that now you know she likes you." George clapped his twin at the back congratulating him.

"Does she?" Fred asked. Even after her actions a few minutes ago he still wasn't so sure.

"Fred Weasley you have turned into a pansy." Angelina said, surprised.

"No I have not." Fred protested.

"Ha, you're already whipped. And you're not even going out with her." Chided Angelina.

"Sorry to say this mate but you kind of are." George backed up Angelina.

"How did you get like this?" Angelina laughed.

"It's her." Fred laughed back. "She makes me crazy. Literally. I don't know how, but over the summer she just started affecting me. She never used to. But when I saw her saying goodbye to her parents, she was so heartbroken. I just wanted to see her smile again. So all of summer I made sure she was always smiling." Fred stopped as he realised he was confessing his feelings for Hermione.

George noticed his brother's shyness, "Brother, you don't have to be ashamed at spiling your heart out. Were your best friends." George gestured to himself, Angelina and Lee who was now sitting across from them.

"He's right you know." Lee encouraged him, smiling. "Don't worry, you don't sound _that_ lame."

All four friends laughed. So Fred proceeded to tell his story to his brother and friends.

He told them almost everything. They way he felt when Hermione was angry at him after the incident with the nosebleed nougat, why he withdrew into himself after he realised that he was starting to harbour feelings for her so that he can understand what he really was feeling. And what he was going to do after he realised that he did have feelings for her.

He neglected to tell them about the night he kissed Hermione and where they had kissed. The moonlit room was his and Hermione's alone, he didn't feel right sharing it with anybody else.

"You left a few things out." George looked at Fred knowingly. Fred shook his head at his brother. George also shook his head and proceeded to tell Angelina and Lee what had happened the night Fred and Hermione kissed. Fred was about to stop his brother but George quickly whipped out his wand and put a body bind curse on Fred.

"Sorry mate they need to know. No, _I_ need them to know. Coz I'm sick of hearing it, this way you have two other people to gush to."George explained to his twin while he caught him before he hit the ground. George turned to look at Angelina and Lee who was listening intently, not at all fazed by what had just transpired.

George proceeded to tell the story. "It was the night before we left for Hogwarts. I was sleeping peacefully when I started to be vigorously assaulted by this thing next to me only to hear him say, "Oh my God what have I done." Over and over again. So I told him to calm down and tell me everything. He said that he and Hermione kissed."

"Way to go FRED!" Boomed Angelina slapping him across the back only for him to topple over on the table.

"Oops!" Angelina exclaimed.

Once Fred was righted and steady George continued, "As I was saying, He kissed Hermione but as soon as they broke the kiss he erased her memory and told Sirius, Mum and I to basically shut our traps. Yes, he literally did. Only he didn't do a very good job of it and she remembered everything except what happened after they kissed. And the next morning she confronted him only for him to say that it never happened."

George looked at Angelina, her face in shock, knowing what was going to happen he quickly un-did the body bind curse.

Angelina exclaimed, "WHAT?" her hand flying swiftly through the air raining hard over Fred's head.

"Ouch! Angie!" Fred bellowed, "That hurt!"

"You're an idiot!" Angelina retorted.

Lee quipped in, "Why did you do that?"

"Like I said, I was afraid she didn't like me."

"Well now you do." Angelina said, still angry.

"No, I don't. For all I know she's just teasing. I need to know that she really likes me. No." Fred started as he saw the look at the other three. "We're of age now. You-know-who's back and were going to war. We all know there will be a war in the near future. I don't want a fling, I want something real. I'm sick of immature girls wanting to hook-up with me and then leave. I want something real and lasting. Something that'll last through this war. And Hermione is young; she doesn't know what she wants yet. If something were to happen now it would be her first relationship, I'm not sure she wants what I want. Besides, she deserves to be a teenager and experience multiple failed relationships before she settles down with one. I'm not going to pull her down with an overly serious relationship and I don't want to be her first failed one. I want to be her one. The last one that's going to stick." Fred breathed in. "Look, I don't know if she is the one, but the way she makes me feel, the things she makes me do and think is too great to pass up. So I'm going to wait around to see if anything can come of that."

There was silence between the four friends as they took in all of what Fred had just confessed.

Angelina was the first to break the silence. "Wow. Fred you've grown up." She said smiling.

"Yeah mate, you've done it. You've finally blossomed into a full fledged girl." Lee teased as Fred reached out to slap him in the face.

"Ouch!"

Fred looked at his twin who had not said anything.

George just looked at his twin and then he smiled. And said, "Don't worry, when you figure out if she really is the one we'll be here to help you win her over. Because come on, it's not only you who noticed that Hermione has definitely grown up over the summer. Every bloke here has noticed too and I've been hearing hushed conversation about "how hot Granger has gotten."

Fred knew this; he's heard these conversations also. And it bothered him a great deal. But he knew what he must do; he cared a lot for her. Even if she threw herself at him, he was going to resist, he was going to wait.

Fred turned to his friends and his twin, "You all have to keep your word on something."

They all nodded.

"Keep me away from Hermione. If she keeps behaving like she did tonight, I'm going to break."

"Sure thing." Angie agreed.

"Whatever you want buddy." Lee added.

"You have my word." George seriously told his brother. As he turned to look away he bit down hard on his lip suppressing his mirth, and whispered to himself, "You're going to regret you ever said that." George's hand flew to his side and pushed a flesh coloured string of an extendable ear further down the pocket of his robes.

That night, as Fred, George and Lee climbed into their separate beds Fred thought about Hermione. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since he saw her desolate face the day she said goodbye to her parents. How broken she was, he had wanted to fix it, he had wanted to be _the one_ to fix it. He knew he had to wait, knew that she has to get with other guys before him. She needed to grow up romantically first. And when she was ready, he'd be there.

"Oh Hermione, you're face is so smooth."

Startled, Fred looked over at Lee's bed.

"Oh Fred you hair smells like strawberries...and peach...and chocolate...and dragon dung musk...mmmm..." came George's high-pitched attempt at a girl's voice.

Fred laughed as he threw two well aimed pillows straight at George's and Lee's face.

All three young men laughed.

It wasn't only Fred who thought about their futures that night, George, Lee and even Angelina fell asleep as they thought about what their future held and what they have to face in the upcoming war.

But for another four young Gryffindors on the other side of the tower, a closer future were on their minds that night. One that involved Hermione, Fred and hopefully a snog. Ok, Maybe not a snog. Yet.

Oh Fred was going to be in so much pain.

* * *

**A/N: There you go guys! Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think :) **


End file.
